Los Angeles Lakers second-year coach JJ Redick is facing his first major challenge of the season before it even begins.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, LeBron James will miss the start of the 2025-26 season due to sciatica — a nerve irritation that affects the glute and lower back — sidelining him for an estimated three to four weeks. The setback is expected to keep the 40-year-old superstar out until late November or early December.
“We knew that he was dealing with the nerve irritation, so you hope that he’s back soon,” Redick told reporters Saturday in his first public appearance since the report surfaced. “Those things can be tricky, so I don’t think it’s that we knew this going into camp. It wasn’t like it’s changed anything for how we want to practice. It’s just the reality — it’s unclear who’s going to be in the starting lineup until he’s back. So we’ll have to figure that out.”
A Disrupted Start for a New Era
James and Luka Dončić — the Lakers’ new co-star duo — have yet to appear in the team’s first two preseason games, leaving Redick little opportunity to test rotations or build chemistry with the team’s offseason additions.
With James expected to miss the opening stretch of the season, the rookie head coach said he’s considering separate “LeBron” and “non-LeBron” lineups to prepare for stretches without the team’s floor general.
“Yeah, that’s something that’s certainly crossed my mind in the last couple of days,” Redick said.
Still, Redick clarified that James has not been completely shut down.
“He’s been on the court every day,” Redick added. “There’s been no effect on practice. We haven’t game-planned yet, but he’s been around and working.”
The Lakers open their season on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors — a matchup that now may proceed without one of its headliners.
Long Summer of Setbacks
Charania reported that James’ sciatica began developing as early as late July or early August during an offseason workout. The injury disrupted his training regimen and prevented him from participating in the team’s preseason preparation.
“My understanding is this injury for LeBron — this nerve issue — first occurred in late July, early August during an on-court workout,” Charania said on NBA Today. “It’s now two and a half months and counting that he’s had to deal with it and manage it. Even before Lakers media day, I’m told LeBron had not done much basketball for well over a month prior to that.”
The injury follows offseason knee surgery James underwent after the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit despite earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Injury History Raises Concerns
James’ combination of age and mileage has made the Lakers increasingly cautious with his workload. The four-time MVP has missed double-digit games in four of the past five seasons, and his latest ailment has reignited questions about how much longer he can stave off decline.
While some fans speculated that his sciatica might be linked to his summer golf hobby, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst quickly debunked that theory.
“This is an injury related to basketball,” Windhorst said on NBA Today. “LeBron had a knee sprain at the end of the season and missed about six weeks recovering from that. And in his career, he’s had disc issues in his back — I’m not saying that’s what led to the sciatica, but it’s connected to the wear and tear of his basketball career.”
Lakers Forced to Adapt Early
For now, Redick and the Lakers must navigate the early season without their leader, relying more heavily on Dončić, Austin Reaves and key offseason additions Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton to shoulder the load.
It’s not the start Redick envisioned for his second season at the helm — and certainly not the start James wanted to what could be one of the final chapters of his storied career.
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