Lakers Injury News: LeBron James Questionable To Return To Christmas Day Game Due To Groin Strain

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

While the Los Angeles Lakers have had their share of highlights this season, they’ve been unable to remain healthy for a variety of reasons. Now, LeBron James has been added to the list after suffering injury during the Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors.

James was pushing the ball up the court in the third quarter when he began to lose his footing and slipped into the splits. He recovered to pass off to Lonzo Ball but grabbed at his midsection before rising to his feet.

James then asked to be removed from the game after the Lakers’ next defensive possession. He was checked on by trainer Marco Nuñez and attempted to stretch on the bench during a timeout.

It was after that James was taken to the locker room and diagnosed with a groin strain, according to Mike Trudell:

James scored 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 5 assists before suffering the injury. A prolonged absence would further strain the Lakers, who remain without JaVale McGee as he’s recovering from pneumonia.

Brandon Ingram recently missed a string of games due to a sprained ankle, and Rajon Rondo was sidelined due to a fractured right hand.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com