NBA
Lakers’ LeBron James is still eyeing a return for the second or third week of November
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated7 hours ago on October 30, 2025
For the first time in his professional career, LeBron James was unavailable for the season opener. The 40-year-old is set to play in his 23rd season when he makes his debut.
Five games into the 2025-25 season, the Lakers have yet to see LeBron James take the court. He is currently dealing with sciatica in his right side. This is causing pain and weakness in his lower back/leg. Ahead of the Lakers’ 116-115 win vs. the Timberwolves on Wednesday, head coach JJ Redick gave an update on James. While there is no definite timetable, Redick said the team is still eyeing the second or third week of November for James to play his first game.
When will LeBron James be available for the Los Angeles Lakers?
JJ Redick says there is no set return date in mind for LeBron James but the team is eyeing the second or third week of November as the general range. As for Luka Doncic, Redick said the team hopes to have him back sometime in the “next couple of games.”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 30, 2025
In their last three games, the Los Angeles Lakers have been without the production of LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Luckily, Austin Reaves stepped up and carried the Lakers to two wins. After scoring 28 points and a career-high 16 points on Wednesday, Reaves jokingly begged for LeBron and Luka to return to the lineup. For one of those players, a return is expected in the next week.
Luka Doncic is currently dealing with a finger/leg injury. He is expected to return to the lineup soon. Unfortunately, the Lakers still have some time to wait until LeBron James returns. The 40-year-old is dealing with sciatica on his right side. That’s forced James to miss the first five games of the 2025-26.
LeBron James could be out for another three weeks, per @mcten
“I’m told that we’re still in the range of about 3 more weeks before he would be targeting a return sometime in mid-November.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/VXORlPwCxd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 27, 2025
James could miss roughly the first 15 games of the 2025-26 season. Ahead of their game on Wednesday, head coach JJ Redick said there is no set return date for James. However, the Lakers are eyeing the second to third week of November for his season debut. Los Angeles wants to compete for a championship this season. To do that, they need LeBron James healthy in the postseason.
That is why Los Angeles is giving James ample time to recover before he plays his first games. The Lakers do not want to risk further injury. In 2024-25, James played and started 70 of 82 games for the Lakers. Due to an injury early in the season and his age, chances are James won’t play in 70 games. Lakers fans will patiently wait for the 21-time all-star to make his season debut in the purple and gold.
