It is revealed that James may be absent until December! NBA executive: His body recovery speed is not as fast as before

On October 16, it was still unknown when James would make his debut in the 2025-26 season, but an NBA executive told the Lakers Daily that he would not be surprised if the future Hall of Famer would be absent until December.

"Sciatica is very, very painful," the executive said, "and LeBron's body is not recovering as fast as it used to be. If he can't play in October or November , I wouldn't be surprised. The Lakers have to be cautious with this injury, and I think they'll be extremely conservative as well."

Sciatica symptoms manifest as inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the leg. Symptoms are usually mild, but the pain can be severe, depending on the case. Previous reports stated that James has been affected by this injury since July.

The Lakers' first game of the 2025-26 season is scheduled for October 22, against the Warriors. The team will play 6 games in October and 13 games in November.

James will turn 41 in December. He is the oldest active player in the NBA and has been playing in the NBA since 2003.

During James' absence, the Lakers will rely on Doncic, Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Ayton to shoulder the scoring burden. Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. The four-time Finals MVP finished sixth in regular season MVP voting and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.

James is currently in the final year of his contract with the Lakers. The NBA's all-time scoring leader will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, his first such status since 2018.

As one of the 75 greatest stars in NBA history, James led the Lakers to defeat the Miami Heat in the closed division of Disney World in Orlando in 2020 and win the championship. He's still one of the league's top players, but for the first time in his career, he's no longer a key player on his team. The title of the core of the team now belongs to Doncic, who is only 26 years old.