Trudging into uncharted territory, LeBron James is taking it slow and steady.
The Los Angeles Lakers are taking extra precautions with the 40-year-old basketball star as he physically prepares for a record 23rd NBA season, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“LeBron’s camp has spoken to the Lakers and they said, let’s be overly cautious with LeBron [James],” McMenamin said ahead of the Lakers’ first practice on Tuesday.
The NBA’s all-time scoring leader was originally listed as a “limited participant” for Tuesday’s practice, but was held off the court altogether.
Head coach JJ Redick told reporters James was dealing with “a little bit of irritation in his glute” — also factoring in 22 years’ worth of NBA wear-and-tear on his body.
James appeared in three of six preseason games for L.A. last season, but Redick believed even that to be a bit too much at this point in his career.
“It’ll be a slower process with him leading into the first game,” Redick said. “Obviously, in Year 23, it’s uncharted territory here.”
The four-time MVP averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds for Los Angeles last season on 51.3 percent shooting from the field and a 37.6 percent clip from long range across 70 games.
He appeared in the team’s first 23 games of the regular season but endured a miserable slump in early December that preceded an eight-day absence, when he sat out two games to nurse his sore left foot.
James later suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the Lakers’ Game 5 elimination loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round of the playoffs.
Redick, entering his second year as head coach, emphasized that the Lakers’ top priority is keeping their star healthy throughout the regular season and beyond.
“We’re playing the long game with LeBron,” he said.
James told ESPN that he’s “not where I want to be” at this stage in the preseason, but added, “I got some time and I’m looking forward to the process of getting there.”
The Lakers have six preseason games starting on Friday, and the team’s quest for an 18th championship begins on Oct. 21, when they host the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
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