Lakers to Begin Season Without LeBron James and Bronny James
LOS ANGELES, CA - October 18, 2024 - The Los Angeles Lakers will begin their regular season without two key players: LeBron James and his son, Bronny James. LeBron is sidelined due to right-side sciatica,an issue the team announced will keep him out through the start of the regular season,with a re-evaluation planned in a few weeks. Recent updates suggest a cautious timeline targeting a mid-November return.
Bronny James is currently dealing with an ankle sprain. The Lakers have listed his status as day-to-day, ruling him out of Wednesday’s and Friday’s preseason games, effectively ending his opportunity for exhibition game repetitions before the season opener.
The Lakers’ preseason has been impacted by multiple absences, including limited minutes for starters Deandre Ayton, Austin Reaves, and Luka Doncic. This has led to increased reliance on depth players such as Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jake LaRavia.
The Lakers open their season on Tuesday,October 21,at Crypto.com Arena against the golden State Warriors (NBC/Peacock). In LeBron’s absence, the team will look to Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and newly acquired Marcus Smart to lead the way.
The Warriors have posted a 3-1 preseason record despite injuries, including one to Jimmy Butler (ankle). However,Butler,Draymond Green,and Steph Curry are all expected to be available for the season opener,giving Golden State a potential advantage as the Lakers await LeBron’s return.
