LeBron James is set to miss the first month of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has been diagnosed with sciatica, leading to his stint on the sideline. His team has impressed despite his absence; the Lakers are 5-2 to start the year.
Throughout his incredibly impressive career, James has been freakishly durable. However, as he enters his 23rd season, age is sure to start catching up with him even more. At least, that’s what Charles Barkley thinks this is all about; he’s not buying the sciatica diagnosis.
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Charles Barkley on LeBron James injury
“He's just old… His back hurt. All old people’s back hurt, Dan. All old people’s back hurt. You can you can dress it up like a sciatica. You can come up with all these medical terms. LeBron is old.”
(Via @dpshow) pic.twitter.com/GNfm0GQXGO
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) November 2, 2025
“He’s just old. Everybody gets old,” Barkley claimed on The Dan Patrick Show. “Yeah, he says sciatica? You know what that means, Dan? His back hurts. All old people’s backs hurt, Dan. All old people’s backs hurt. You can dress it up like sciatica. You can come up with all these medical terms. LeBron is old.”
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James watches from the sideline during a break against the Golden State Warriors. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
At 40 years of age, there’s no denying that LeBron is ancient in a professional sports context. However, he’s proven time and again that normal rules don’t apply to him. He was an All-Star last season and made an All-NBA Second Team. Old or not, James is more likely than not to play at an elite level as soon as he gets back.
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