LeBron James will begin his 23rd NBA season on the sidelines.
The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed that the 39-year-old superstar has been diagnosed with sciatica, a nerve condition that will sideline him for roughly three to four weeks, delaying his much-anticipated season debut.
For two decades, LeBron has been a model of longevity, discipline, and durability. But even the game’s ultimate iron man isn’t immune to time. What initially looked like mild back and glute discomfort has now been traced to irritation of the sciatic nerve, an issue that can cause shooting pain and numbness down the leg — the kind of injury that makes explosive movement nearly impossible.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, LeBron is expected to miss the remainder of the preseason and at least one week of the regular season, with the team set to monitor his progress closely.
“The Second Decision” and a Viral Golf Joke
As LeBron’s health became public, not everyone treated it with sympathy.
Former NBA player Rashad McCants took to X (formerly Twitter) to poke fun at the situation, writing:
“The Second Decision!!!! Golfing ain’t no joke….”
The jab referenced LeBron’s recent Hennessy “Second Decision” commercial, a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign that mimicked his 2010 free-agency special and briefly convinced fans he might be retiring.
McCants’ joke, implying that LeBron’s offseason golf habit might have contributed to the injury, quickly went viral, drawing laughs from fans but also sparking criticism over whether it crossed the line.
Expert Weighs In
ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell pushed back on the humor, reminding fans that sciatica is a serious and often unpredictable condition.
“It involves irritation, inflammation, or compression of the sciatic nerve,” Bell explained to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Recovery depends on identifying the root cause and managing it properly. For an athlete like LeBron, that process can’t be rushed.”
Head coach JJ Redick confirmed that the team will take a cautious approach, emphasizing long-term health over short-term wins.
“He’s not getting cleared until he’s ready,” Redick said. “There’s no timeline except his body’s timeline.”
At 39, LeBron’s next comeback might take patience, but history says counting him out has never been a good bet.