LeBron James will miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA season while dealing with an injury. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
The [Lakers will be without LeBron James to start the 2025-26 NBA season](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1976393093114200516) as the 40-year-old is dealing with a lingering injury, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
James is set to be sidelined for the next 3-4 weeks while dealing with sciatica in his right side. James has been out of commission during the preseason, and now it seems that his absence will extend in to the regular season, too.
Los Angeles opens the season at home against the Warriors on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at the Crypto.com Arena. Should the timeline prove accurate, James won't be ready for the season opener, and could miss a few more games on top of that. It would be the first time in his legendary career that he's not ready to suit up for his team's first game of the season.
James is entering Year 23 in the NBA, and he's still dominating at the age of 40 (he'll turn 41 in December). He's played in more than 70 games in each of the last two seasons and is still putting up big numbers.
James will be reevaluated in a few weeks to determine a more specific timeline for his return, but it's certainly a troubling start for the Lakers who could be without their superstar forward for up to a month.