The Los Angeles Lakers entered their matchup against the Boston Celtics down a couple of key players. Rui Hachimura continued to be absent due to a left patellar tendinopathy. Jaxson Hayes was a late scratch due to a right knee contusion. Before the night was over, one major name was set to join them on the sidelines.
LeBron James left the fourth quarter of the game with a left groin strain. This would be the same injury that has afflicted the 21-time All-Star on multiple occasions during his time in Los Angeles. The Lakers wound up losing the contest 111-101, but the concerns of James missing an extended period of time far outweighed those of losing one game.
It is an obvious sentiment, but missing one of your top players at any point of a season is tough. It is especially difficult considering the spot in which the Lakers currently find themselves.
Lakers will be in for a tough time without James
James tried to offer some reassurance after the game, claiming that the injury was not too serious.
"[There is] not much concern," James told the reporters at his locker room. "[It's] day to day, look at it each day to see if it gets better and take the proper measurements and see what we need to do about it."
Other sources like Dave McMenamin did not share LeBron's confidence in the injury. The ESPN reporter had one source believing it could be a longer road back than the one suggested by the Lakers superstar.
It is too early to project an accurate timetable for how long LeBron James could miss because of his left groin injury, sources told ESPN. However one source said the initial thought is that it will sideline James for a matter of weeks, not a matter of days.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 9, 2025
The Lakers and their fans will surely hope the reality of the matter is much closer to what James is projecting. Los Angeles does not have a roster built to withstand injuries. It is a particularly frightening thought when the injury is to one of the two superstars instrumental to the team's success.
James has done it all for the Lakers in the 2024-25 NBA season. The NBA legend has recaptured his spark on defense, proven to be malleable with regard to the arrival of Luka Doncic, and has been a beacon of consistency overall.
The Lakers have three games left on their current four-game road trip. Two of those contests will be against imposing competition like the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks. That Nuggets game, in particular, will be key to getting a leg up in the race for the second seed in the Western Conference.
Doncic spoke after the game about the Lakers having a 'next man up' mentality if James is forced to miss an extended period of time. That is the right thought process, but filling the shoes of everything LeBron does for Los Angeles will be easier said than done.