LeBron James to Skip Lakers’ Preseason Opener
Despite LeBron James making waves with his impressive performance described as “a freight train” in Lakers training camp, fans will need to exhibit some patience before witnessing him in action on the court.
Following a practice session on Thursday, LeBron revealed that he plans to participate in only half of the team’s six preseason games, and regrettably, the preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday won’t be one of those occasions:
Head coach Darvin Ham emphasized that there is no particular health issue affecting LeBron. James stated on media day that he’s feeling as healthy as he has in a while. The team’s approach is primarily focused on managing his playing time:
Considering that LeBron is embarking on his 21st professional season and will soon celebrate his 39th birthday, such an approach appears entirely reasonable. The larger question remains how many minutes James will log over the entire season, but his absence from the preseason road game opener is hardly surprising.
With LeBron sitting out, the composition of the starting five for the Lakers’ initial game will remain a mystery. The two players chosen alongside Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell could end up being the final members of the starting lineup alongside James.
To unravel this puzzle, fans will have to wait at least until the team’s second preseason game on Monday, October 9 in Las Vegas against the Brooklyn Nets. James is likely to suit up for that game, especially since it will be hosted in the city where he aspires to own an NBA franchise someday.
The Lakers and Warriors will commence the preseason without LeBron on Saturday, October 7 at 5:30 p.m. PT in the Bay Area. The game will be broadcast locally on Spectrum SportsNet and nationally on NBA TV.
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