LeBron James injury update: Lakers star out vs. Bucks due to sore ankle

LeBron James injury update: Lakers star out vs. Bucks due to sore ankle

LeBron James will miss Friday night's game against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers confirmed. James is battling with a painful ankle, which prompted him to exit the Lakers' defeat against the Sacramento Kings early Wednesday night.

After 36 total minutes against the Kings, the 21-year-old walked off the court with around four minutes remaining on the clock. Though there was no visible damage on the floor, James was clearly in agony.

"I'll be all good," James stated after the game, "it's just my ankle. It's basically what I dealt with before and after the [All-Star] break. I'm just handling it as best I can.

"I played the whole third, had a little break to begin the fourth, and when I returned, it was just -- whatever. It's simply something I've been working through."

As of Friday, James does not seem to be facing any long-term absences. ESPN said that his latest ankle issue was caused by "wear and tear."

Wednesday's setback highlighted the importance of James' health. Not only did the Lakers fall to 34-30, but they also officially lost the season tiebreaker against the Kings and are now in 10th place in the Western Conference. As of Friday, they are 3.5 games behind the sixth-place Phoenix Suns for the last automatic playoff position.

While the Lakers were on a roll before the All-Star break, they have gone 4-4 since returning to the court and are about to go on an extraordinarily challenging run of play. After the Bucks, they'll face the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kings, and Golden State Warriors. If James is injured or even hampered, the Lakers will be in serious jeopardy for those games.

Overall, James has been incredibly durable this season. Friday night against the Bucks will be his eighth missed game, reversing a previous trend. James has already played more games than he did last season and is on track to reach 60 games for just the second time since joining the Lakers in 2024.