NBA Hoops

LeBron, Lakers’ unlucky season crossing the line into laughable

Melissa Rohlin

LeBron James couldn’t help but laugh. 

He had just suffered a groin injury that forced him to gingerly walk off the court midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 114-101 loss to the Clippers. And his team had just fallen dangerously close to the cellar of the league, only a half-game ahead of the Houston Rockets, the team that holds that ignoble position. 

So, when a reporter began a question by pointing out that the Lakers are in a tough spot with a 2-9 record, James delivered an interjection of his own.  

“Really?” he asked, flashing a smile that devolved into a chuckle. “Captain obvious.” 

Things went from bad to worse for the Lakers, when James apparently suffered the injury while posting up on Paul George. He limped off the court with 5:41 left and didn’t return. 

“I didn’t do anything extraneous on the play,” James said. “Just when I landed, I felt a little spasm or strain in my groin.”

James will be evaluated Thursday by team doctors and will undergo imaging to determine the severity of the injury. The good news is he said “it’s not as bad” as the torn left groin he suffered on Christmas in 2018 that sidelined him for 17 consecutive games.

In fact, James hopes he won’t miss any time. 

“I’ll go around [the clock] treatment for 24 hours, and if it’s OK on Friday, I’ll be in the lineup,” he said.

It was the latest blow for a team that seemingly has a setback any time it has a minor breakthrough. It’s as if the Lakers are in a constant state of playing whack-a-mole. 

As soon as Russell Westbrook started looking comfortable as a sixth man, James’ shooting went cold and Anthony Davis became inconsistent. And when James got his touch back Wednesday, scoring 30 points in 32 minutes, he then suffered the injury. 

Now the Lakers are steeling themselves for the possibility of playing without James, a daunting task for a team that can’t even figure out how to play with him. 

“For me, the mindset switches to just going out, being aggressive and trying to find ways to help the team win — whether it’s more shots or know[ing] it’s my job to make these guys better,” said Davis, who had 21 points and nine rebounds. “It’s my job anyway. But it’s heightened when someone like LeBron is out with everything he can do on the floor.”

Read more on the NBA:

There’s not much going right for the Lakers this season. 

They have the worst offensive rating in the league (103.2), along with the worst 3-point shooting percentage…

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