LeBron James Nears Return: Lakers Star Set to Come Back at Perfect Time

LeBron James has a way of striking a nerve.

Out since the season started with sciatica, the Los Angeles Lakers’ hot start behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves managed to spark debate about whether the team should move on from their about-to-be 41-year-old star sooner rather than later.

All it took was one game over the weekend to magnify how silly of a concept that really is.

Nothing like a 20-point loss to a team missing its four top scorers to gain a jarring dose of perspective. The Lakers were crushed 122-102 on Saturday by the Atlanta Hawks, who were without Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

James is on track to return in two weeks, and an entire fan base should be giving thanks. Mark the occasion with early servings of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

The first second of James' first game this season will be something to savor. At that exact moment, he will become the first player in NBA history to see action in 23 seasons.

James made his NBA debut in 2003, when the camera phone became widespread and Nokia and Samsung ruled the market. His first game of the season will be a clickable moment for sure.

While players with NBA staying power have included Vince Carter (22 seasons), Robert Parish (21), Kevin Willis (21), Kevin Garnett (21), Dirk Nowitzki (21), and the currently active Chris Paul (21), none of them have delivered this late in their careers like James.

Will James once again find the form that led him to four MVPs and a career scoring average of 27.0 points? Probably not.

Will he find the ability to score 24.4 points with 8.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds like he did last season? He surely won’t at first as he works his way into his court stamina. He might not even average 20 points per game for the first time in his career.

But even if James’ stats show he no longer is the player he once was, his basketball IQ and on-court savvy alone is what the Lakers need as much as anything.

As remarkable as Luka Doncic’s start to the season has been, with 37.0 points per game along with a career-high 23.8 shots per game, it is a difficult pace to maintain. Doncic, who has averaged 36.8 minutes, already has missed four games, mostly due to a leg contusion.

Austin Reaves continues to show growth with 31.1 points per game as well as 9.3 assists. But Reaves has missed the last three games with what was first characterized as a sore right groin and then recently upgraded to a mild groin strain.

Reaves is likely to return at some point during the current five-game road trip, which started with Saturday’s defeat.

The Lakers did see big man Maxi Kleber make his season debut with one point and two rebounds over 14 minutes at Atlanta. Kleber, who arrived from the Dallas Mavericks in February as an additional piece in the Doncic trade, has appeared in just one regular-season game and one playoff game in that time for Los Angeles.

James is not expected to join the current trip at any point, but he is making progress with his injury. The Lakers just cleared their star for contact basketball activity, which will give his back and his fitness level the test both need.

When James was ruled out to start the season with sciatica — missing the first season opener of his career — the joke was that he was down with an “old man” ailment.

But old dudes also have experience, they show leadership, and they have a perspective a team like the Lakers could use moving forward.

James is the backbone his team needs, if he can only get his own posterior to cooperate.

James will be reevaluated at the end of this week at the earliest, or by next week, as his season debut draws near. The Lakers’ next home game is Nov. 18 against the Utah Jazz. They have a four-day break before going to Utah on Nov. 23, then play the cross-town Los Angeles Clippers at home on Nov. 25.

Two days later is Thanksgiving. Sounds appropriate for all those who call Lakers Land home.