LeBron James missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break and even received some treatment on his ankle during his time off.
As the leading vote getter in the Western Conference, LeBron did suit up for Sunday’s All-Star Game, but he played just 14 minutes, the fewest of any starter.
This didn’t come as any surprise considering James was playing in his 20th consecutive All-Star Game and his main focus is being healthy down the stretch of the season. The Lakers played much better over the past couple weeks but still are in ninth place in the Western Conference.
LeBron finished with eight points, four rebounds and three assists as the Western Conference fell to the East 211-186 in the highest scoring All-Star Game in NBA history. Afterwards, LeBron admitted that he wasn’t going to exert himself too much as his focus is on his health for the stretch run.
“I’m feeling okay,” James said after the game. “I definitely wasn’t going to put too much pressure on the game tonight for me physically. I want to try to be as healthy as I can be physically. This last part of the season is very important for us. I got to make sure of that.”
Of course LeBron is absolutely crucial to the success of the Lakers and he understands that if this team is going to make a run, he has to be on the court leading the way. But it is unclear whether that will be the case when the Lakers return to the court on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors.
LeBron admitted that depending on how he responds to the treatment he received, he could have to sit out the Lakers first game post All-Star break. “It possibly could. It depends on the recovery process,” James revealed. “So possibly, but we will see.”
Much like last season, the Lakers aren’t in the best spot at the All-Star break but have the makings to make a run down this final stretch of the season. Health has been an issue all season long for this team and LeBron missing any significant time would be a huge blow.
