LeBron James divulges injury update, describes MCL tear experience on Mind the Game

LeBron James is recuperating after suffering an MCL tear in the Lakers' final game of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

LeBron James divulges injury update, describes MCL tear experience on Mind the Game

LeBron James (Image via Instagram)

The Los Angeles Lakers faithful had a lot of faith in their ability to make a deep playoff run this year. After all, they had LeBron James joined by Luka Doncic within their ranks mid-season. The team had gone on a tear during the initial period after acquiring Doncic, displaying stout defensive play. Many fans fancied them as legitimate postseason contenders based on the surge they had in February and early March.

However, after James suffered a groin injury against the Boston Celtics, the Lakers’ season came apart. They unraveled during James’ absence and never quite displayed the same two-way dominance from the initial stretch. Although they made it to the postseason as third seeds, and were fancied against the Timberwolves, the chinks in their armor had begun to show for other teams to take advantage of.

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves did just that in the first round. They used Edwards’ mismatch potential effectively and clamped down on the Lakers’ role players effectively. LeBron James was held virtually scoreless during the clutch period in the final three games of the series. He also suffered a knee injury in game 5, which would’ve ruled him out of further playoff action had the Lakers won.

King James took to his podcast platform Mind The Game to speak to co-host Steve Nash on the season gone by. The Lakers’ superstar described how he felt after suffering the first serious knee injury of his career.

I’ve had regular tendinitis, patellar and all that stuff, but it’s the first time I’ve ever had a straight knee injury where I had to be like ‘Okay, you gotta get off your feet’. And I’ve kinda had to be shelved for a minute. I knew as soon as that impact happened with me and DiVincenzo. I felt it right away. My knee locked up and that’s why I stayed on the ground for quite a while to see if the knee would kinda release a little bit. But I knew right then and there that it was a pain that I hadn’t felt before. Obviously when I was running back to close out and my knee collided, my knee bent inward and that’s the MCL injury that I had.

LeBron James described the physical sensation he felt after his collision with Donte DiVincenzo

LeBron James described how he felt on the morning after his MCL tear

LeBron James misses Met Gala citing knee injury
LeBron James

LeBron James had never suffered a serious injury during the first 15 seasons of his career. However, after moving to the Lakers in 2018, he’s now suffered various groin injuries, ankle ailments and other pains that fans believed he was impervious to.

He described the unfamiliar experience of waking up with a knee injury on his podcast thus:

That next morning, man, after my injury? I told the doctors, I was like, ‘Listen, it’s sore right now. If I wake up Thursday morning again, if it doesn’t feel any better, Friday morning, let’s get an MRI Friday morning.’ Well, when I woke up Thursday morning and tried to get out of bed, I was like ‘Holy s**t!’ And I called the doctor right away and said, ‘I can’t wait till Friday! I need to go today.’

LeBron James on his MCL tear

Lakers fans would be hoping that King James is ready and available for season 23 of his career. The sun has nearly set on perhaps the most impressive individual NBA career ever. But James will ride into the sunset higher than any mortal before him.

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