LOS ANGELES – LeBron James left the Lakers ‘game against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half on Saturday after Solomon Hill crashed into James’ right ankle.
James, 36, knocked over a chair in frustration on his way to the locker room.
Hill received a foul at 10:50 from the second half when the Hawks ‘striker fell on James’ right ankle while trying to steal the ball.
James immediately screamed in pain and rolled off the court, holding his right leg. The Lakers asked for a time limit to check on the 18-year-old veteran, with several teammates, coaches and members of the medical team walking around the court to surround James while he was on the ground.
James managed to stand on his own and hobbled back to the bench, where he replaced his sneakers and continued the game after the time limit.
In the Lakers’ first possession of the ball after the time limit, James hit a 3 in the corner, raising his stats line to 10 points in 3-in-6 shots, keeping his streak of 1,036 consecutive games intact – including Saturday – scoring 10 points or most.
LA asked for another time soon after that and James left the game forever with 10:04 left in the second quarter, with the Lakers losing 34-30.
Shortly after, the team announced that it would not return.
The Lakers play next Sunday in the second leg of a consecutive game on the road against the Phoenix Suns.
Arriving on Saturday, James averaged 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists and played in all but one Lakers game this season, keeping his name at the top of the MVP conversation.