Why LeBron James’ ankle injury is of concern to the Lakers
What I’m hearing: Mark Medina details LeBron James’ ankle injury and where the Lakers go from here, while trying to stay competitive without their two main stars.
USA TODAY
When the Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James fell to the ground, the fall provoked two reactions.
With James turning his right ankle and screaming in pain in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers hoped it didn’t mean an extended absence for him just two years after he lost 27 games due to a sprained left groin . After the Lakers’ 99-94 loss to the Hawks on Saturday, the Lakers diagnosed James with a high sprained right ankle and ruled him out indefinitely.
“I didn’t necessarily see him screaming and scowling like that, probably never, even with that groin,” said Lakers striker Kyle Kuzma. “It should probably hurt a little, for sure.”
Some of James ‘other teammates also suggested that the Hawks’ guard, Solomon Hill, deserves some blame. James fell to the ground after Hill tried to get the ball out of his hands. Solomon then fell on James’ right ankle with 10:50 left in the second quarter.
“It was a difficult move. Guy dove for a loose ball and kicked his leg. We didn’t think it was one of those basketball games, ”said Montrezl Harrell, Lakers striker. “But this is neither here nor there.”
Hill responded on Twitter, saying “I would never disrespect the game and take a player on purpose”. Harrell conceded this, adding, “I don’t think it’s one of those moves he tried to make. But at the end of the day, it’s one of those things that you have to look at.”
Despite James screaming in pain, he soon got up alone and hobbled back to the bench without any help. After the Lakers’ time limit, James then punctured a 3-point basket on the next move. But James then left the court, knocked over a chair in frustration and went to the locker room. He did not play the rest of the game.
“I will not reveal what LeBron’s state of mind was like internally,” said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. “Is at home.”
Still, this leaves the Lakers (28-14) in a precarious position, despite occupying third place in the Western Conference. James, 36, is among the NBA MVP contenders with an average of 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists, and lost just one game at the start of the season. The Lakers are also without striker Anthony Davis in the last 14 games because of a sprained right calf. The Lakers plan to evaluate Davis in about a week.