LeBron James has not been a big believer in load management over the past few years. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar may finally be ready to admit his age, and give the considerate approach towards his body a shot.
Dave McMenamin reported that James was dealing with 'a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute' to open training camp. As a result, the all-time great was held out of practice on Tuesday. JJ Redick told McMenamin the goal was to have LeBron available on opening night aga inst the Golden State Warriors.
Jovan Buha thought this was the right approach for the situation. That was the message shared by the Lakers reporter on a recent episode of Buha's Block. After years of pushing back against the idea of less games or fewer minutes, James may finally be ready to accept his fate.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer is about to start the 23rd season of his legendary career. That, quite literally, is unprecedented territory. New circumstances demand new strategies. For the Lakers, ensuring the best version of James being ready for the 2026 NBA Playoffs should be the goal.
One would imagine that with a relatively clean bill of health, James would still want to hit 65 games, and be eligible for the end of season awards that come with that threshold. That would set him up to add to his NBA record of All-NBA Team appearances.
As much as that would boost his resume, a championship would do so much more. James getting to the postseason at 90 percent versus 75, or whatever arbitrary number one wishes to attach here, would mean a much more realistic path to a title for the Lakers.
LeBron is still every bit of an NBA superstar. That stardom will be needed most in the postseason.
Playoff LeBron used to be discussed as the stuff of legend. James always had an extra gear that could be activated when it mattered most. It left his competitors in awe and reverence.
Expecting that version of James in every playoff outing after the man turns 41 years old might be foolish. However, with the right maintenance on his workload through the 2025-26 regular season, the extra care and effort would be put into place for him to have more of those moments than may otherwise be possible at this age.
His Lakers teammates know that James missing a few preseason contests will not mean much. Neither will an extra night off or two in the regular season. The ultimate goal can only be accomplished in June.
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