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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff WriterDec 8, 2024, 08:23 PM ET
- Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
- Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
LOS ANGELES — Lakers star LeBron James will miss his first game of the season Sunday night against the Portland Trail Blazers because of left foot soreness.
James, 39, first experienced the soreness during L.A.’s loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
On Friday, James played a season-high 43 minutes in an overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks, finishing with 39 points on 14-for-25 shooting, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.
On the season, James is averaging 23 points on 49.5% shooting (35.9% from 3), 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds — by far the most productive by any player in league history to stay in the league long enough to reach the stage that James has reached.
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James came into Sunday listed as doubtful because of the injury, then was upgraded to probable in the morning before being downgraded back to doubtful after the team walkthrough a couple hours before tipoff.
“With LeBron out, we’re going to have to move, we’re going to have to cut, we’re going to have to pass,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the Blazers game. “We’re going to have to play in transition. And I think overall for our team, just getting back to really emphasize trying to get a paint touch on every possession. We were doing that earlier in the year and have gotten away from that and need to get back to that.”
L.A. doesn’t play again until Friday on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves and doesn’t even practice until Wednesday. Redick said the break could be beneficial to the 22-year veteran.
“You don’t want him out of the lineup, that’s for sure, but he has an opportunity to get four days rest before we practice again,” Redick said. “So it could be really good for him.”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves is also out, missing a fifth straight game because of a left pelvic contusion.
