The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 116-110 in LeBron James' return on Sunday night. James, who has been dealing with a foot injury, was made available for the game after initially being listed as questionable. LeBron had not played in LA's two most recent games before Sunday. The future Hall of Famer provided an injury update after the game, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
LeBron James said he felt “pretty good” after his nine-day, two-game absence. He clarified he is not past his left foot injury and that it’s been bothering him for a few years.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 16, 2024
“It’s not behind me,” James said. “It’s an every day thing. … But I was able to do some great things…
"It’s not behind me,” James said of the foot injury. "It’s an every day thing. … But I was able to do some great things (on my break)."
The 39-year-old has played in 24 of the Lakers' 26 games so far this season. LeBron is going to try to play through the pain as he continues to deal with the aforementioned injury. The Lakers are obviously hopeful that the issue will not prove to be a detriment to James' play on the floor.
LeBron scored 18 points and recorded eight assists and eight rebounds in Sunday's victory. He also went 7-17 on his field goal attempts and 3-6 on his three-point attempts. It was not his most dominant performance by any means, but James played well enough to make a big impact. Anthony Davis, however, led the way with a huge night, as he had a 40-point, 16-rebound double-double.
The Lakers are at their best when Davis plays at an MVP-caliber level. LA needs Davis to be their best player. With that being said, LeBron James is still more than capable of leading the Lakers to a win on any given night.
LeBron James, Lakers hoping to build momentum after win vs. Grizzlies
The Lakers bounced back from their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday with Sunday's win. LA has endured an inconsistent season overall up to this point. There is a chance that the victory over the Grizzlies may spark a winning streak, though, especially if LeBron continues to play. His status will be worth closely monitoring moving forward after his injury admission.
The Lakers will receive the opportunity to establish a winning streak on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings on the road. LA will then play the Kings once again on Saturday before returning home to host the Pistons in a Monday night clash.
Los Angeles currently has a record of above .500, but they clearly need to start winning on a more consistent basis in order to make serious noise in the Western Conference.