Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James exited the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday with a groin injury, one that comes with the initial expectation that James will be forced to miss “weeks” rather than days.
And while James himself downplayed the injury, fellow teammate Luka Doncic, while expressing his hope that the ailment is not a serious one, admitted to reporters that the injury that James has is “tough to deal with.”
“Yeah, I mean, hopefully it’s nothing,” Doncic said when asked about the concern level for James. “Obviously, he’s gotta take his time. Those injuries … I won’t say [they’re] the worst, but they’re tough to deal with. So just take time. And as a team, we gotta have the next-man up mentality.”
James exited the game with 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Lakers trailing 94-85. He did not return.
Doncic himself was spotted on the broadcast doing some stretching, and when asked, revealed that he’s been feeling soreness in his back stemming from a hard fall he took during Thursday’s win over the New York Knicks, but he added that he’s “fine.”
In terms of next men up for the Lakers, Doncic, acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in blockbuster trade in February, will be first in line. In 11 games with the Lakers, Doncic is averaging 24.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field.
The Lakers, 8-2 in the club’s last 10 games, should know more about James’s injury in the coming days.
