Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James did everything he could to try and propel the team during the postseason, but it was clear that he was hindered by a foot injury he suffered earlier in the season. While the exact injury was never formally stated, James revealed that there was a torn tendon in his foot.
He was told, at the time of the injury, that surgery was a legitimate option that would likely knock him out for the remainder of the season. He chose to work through it and forgo an operation, understanding that he may have to reconsider during the offseason.
Now that the Lakers are out and their offseason has begun, James is weighing a potential surgery, but wants to see if the tendon has done any healing in the meantime, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
When asked Monday if surgery could be an option this summer, James told ESPN, “I’m going to get an MRI on it and see how the tendon either healed or not healed and go from there. We’ll see what happens.”
If James’ MRI reveals a still torn tendon and surgery is deemed the best option moving forward, it would be the first major operation of his storied career. One of the most impressive parts about James’ longevity has been his ability to avoid serious injury.
Prior to joining the Lakers in 2018, he had never missed more than five consecutive games due to injury in his career. It has now happened six times since joining L.A.
Surgery likely wouldn’t hold James out of any games, as there’s no reason to believe he would need more than five months to recover. But until a decision is made, Lakers fans will be anxiously awaiting any news regarding the 20-year superstar.
James contemplating retirement
Another bombshell reveal from James’ most recent media availability following the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Denver Nuggets was that he was legitimately considering calling it an end to his career. The Lakers are giving James time to make his decision, which would drastically affect how they approach this offseason.
James has also made it clear he wants to play alongside his son, Bronny James, who is entering his freshman season at USC. James would need to play one more season to get to Bronny’s draft and would need to play the season after to get his wish of playing alongside him. He has two more years — with a player option on Year 2 — under contract with the Lakers.
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