LeBron James Injury Update: Coach Walton Confirms Progress, Will Miss Thunder Game

LeBron James is slowly but surely making progress in his recovery from the groin injury sustained during the Los Angeles Lakers’26-point win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.

The initial scan revealed that the injury to the small forward was much better than first feared with James himself declaring he had “dodged a bullet”. Despite the relief about the severity of the injury, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that the Lakers do expect the three-time NBA champion to miss several games.

The team are said to be taking the cautious route as they are aware that rushing James back before he is fully fit will risk a potential setback which could see him miss more games than expected.

Coach Luke Walton confirmed that James had taken to the court to do some shooting for the first time since suffering the groin injury, but the player continues to be listed as day-to-day with the Lakers not giving a timeline for his return.

"The first time I've seen [James] shooting," Walton said Tuesday, as quoted on ESPN. "He's working on his body, his game, himself all the time. But that's the first time I've seen him shoot [since the injury]."

The Lakers are 1-2 without James in the side and snapped their two-game losing streak with a come from behind win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night to end the year on a winning note.

Brandon Ingram has spoken about the opportunity it provides the rest of the team to show they can step up and continue to win without their talisman. The small forward has taken it upon himself to play better and not let the team feel the absence of James.

Lance Stephenson, who like James also joined the Lakers this summer, admitted that it was difficult without the 14-time NBA All Star as he is the one that does all the talking while on the floor. But he admits that the team have got to grips as the games have progressed.

“It's definitely tough because he's very vocal," Lakers swingman Stephenson said. "With him missing, it's like everyone is quiet. You don't know what's going on on the floor. But as the games that we had, I think we got better at it."

Despite James returning to court to do some shooting, the small forward is not expected to return for the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. While there are also doubts about his participation against the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Rajon Rondo, meanwhile, will be out for at least five weeks after he underwent surgery to repair the Grade 3 sprain he suffered in his right ring finger, which was also during their win over the Warriors. The veteran point guard will be sorely missed especially after he played his best game of the season to ensure the Christmas Day win.