Who doesn’t love a good bit of mystery surrounding LeBron James?
While the Lakers are on a five-game road trip, LeBron is moving forward in his rehab back in Los Angeles. That progression includes the need to play in a 5-on-5 setting.
Well, if the actual Lakers are in Charlotte, then the next best option for him is the South Bay Lakers, who opened their G League season over the weekend. Prior to Monday’s game against the Hornets, head coach JJ Redick — not even in response to a question about LeBron, mind you — revealed that LeBron did, indeed, practice with South Bay earlier in the day.
With that context in mind, it was both funny and unsurprising that Lakers PR nearly immediately tried to correct this and save themselves any potential punishment, saying he didn’t practice with South Bay on Monday but would later in the week.
If I were a betting man, I’d say that he probably did practice with South Bay and the Lakers just kind of skirted the rules, which I’m sure other teams do. It’s a formality that they perhaps just skipped over.
But assuming he did or does practice with South Bay, it is hilarious that he will be the first LeBron in the G League this year.
Setting aside the jokes and the situation itself, this is another encouraging update for LeBron. That he is practicing now in a 5-on-5 setting should increase the optimism that he will be available in the Lakers’ first game back in LA on Nov. 18 against the Jazz.
Of course, that depends on how his practice with the South Bay Lakers went or will go. Because he definitely hasn’t practiced with them already.