Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss the team's opening-night game against the Golden State Warriors on October 21 due to an injury, NBA reports.
James, who has not yet participated in a full practice at training camp, will be sidelined for three to four weeks due to sciatica on his right side, the Lakers announced this week. It's also forced him to miss the team's first two preseason games.
Sciatica happens when irritation, inflammation, pinching, or compression affect one or more nerves that run down your lower back and into your legs, according to Cleveland Clinic. About 40 percent of people in the U.S. experience some form of sciatica during their lifetime.
Pain from sciatica varies from a mild ache to a sharp, burning pain.
Regarding James' injury comeback, Lakers coach JJ Redick says he's "on his own timeline." The same day, the team announced James' injury timeline, which would likely have him missing their first five or six games.
"You've got to play the cards you're dealt. That's a shame, but that's just the reality. … No one has got any time with LeBron," Redick said. "(James) hasn't been on the court with the team, but that's just the reality."
This season marks James' 23rd NBA season, the longest career in NBA history. Though he's stated he doesn't know whether he will retire after this season, he has said that the end of his career will be "sooner than later."
The Lakers' next preseason game is against the Golden State Warriors this Sunday.
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