James down, Doncic era begins at Lakers

Someday, the Los Angeles Lakers were going to be without LeBron James, the question of “when” looming over the organisation and paralysing them from either pushing all in or fully embracing a future without him.

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Luka Doncic and LeBron James during a game last season.

(REUTERS)

The unexpected opportunity to acquire Luka Doncic last season set the team fully on a new path forward, with James’ continued presence on the roster no longer the team’s guiding star.

Still, the news last Thursday that the 40-year-old James would miss at least the next three to four weeks because of a sciatic nerve problem on his right side was fairly jarring.

James had already been held out of training camp practices and the first two preseason games this month because of nerve irritation in his glute. Now he will miss the entire preseason and at least the first five games of the regular season based on the current timeline.

The words “at least” were not specifically used in the team’s announcement but were strongly implied when it said James would be reevaluated in three to four weeks.