After LeBron James said he felt something “pop” when he hurt his ankle Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans prepared for the worst.
A day later, those fears were realized. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Lakers are “bracing” for James to miss multiple weeks.
“The belief is he will be sidelined an indefinite amount,” Charania said.
This is the last thing the Lakers (29-32) need right now as they fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
James injured his foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. After going up for a contested layup, he landed awkwardly and went down, holding his ankle. James could be heard saying, “I heard a pop. I heard a pop,” as he rolled on the floor holding his ankle.
James’ decision to finish the game with the injury looks even worse now in retrospect given the serious situation.
NBA fans reacted quickly to the bad news. While the Lakers have not released details of James’ injury, sports medicine experts and orthopedic specialists who weighed in said the situation doesn’t look good from what they know.
i’ll never understand why nba players feel like it’s a good idea to keep playing after they get injured in a game
— The Old Narrator (@TheOldNarrator) February 28, 2023
Multiple weeks?! Yeah, pack it up.
— Unbiased NBA Fan (@nonbiasednbafan) February 28, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.