LeBron James has returned to the Lakers’ lineup thanks despite surgery being recommended by more than one doctor. Is he making the right call?
After a 13-game absence, LeBron James is back in the Lakers’ lineup. He was out with a torn tendon in his foot, an injury that usually comes with a much longer recovery time than what he needed to get back on the floor.
His comments upon returning drew plenty of media attention — both the fact of his apparently superhuman healing ability and that surgery was recommended but he went to see “the LeBron James of feet” and got a second opinion.
But following those comments came the acknowledgment that he’s still not healed all the way and offseason surgery is not completely off the table. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, LeBron said:
“I don’t know. Right now, I don’t need it, so we’ll see what happens. I’ll probably get another MRI at the end of the season and go from there. But if I end up having to get surgery after the season, you guys won’t know. I don’t talk to you guys in the offseason, and by the time next season starts, I’ll be fine. I’ll be ready to go.”
Is LeBron James taking a risk by returning to the Lakers so soon?
The arc of LeBron’s career and his superhuman endurance and durability give him every reason to be confident in his own healing abilities. But this statement sure sounds like he’s taking a risk by returning this season.
The Lakers lost to the Chicago Bulls in his return, ending a three-game winning streak, and are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Things are tightly packed and they could certainly move up but he’s pushing his body with a postseason appearance far from secure. And even if they were to make it through. FiveThirtyEight’s projection model gives them just a three percent chance of winning the West and a one percent chance of winning it all — about the same as the New York Knicks.
At LeBron’s age, you don’t want to take anything for granted or waste any opportunities to chase the ultimate prize. But he’s taking a big risk for what amounts to an enormous longshot. He better hope “the LeBron James of feet” doesn’t turn out to be “the J.R. Smith of feet.”
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