LeBron James Injury Update: When Will The Lakers Star Return To The Court?

LeBron James was spotted Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC playoff game. There is hope in Los Angeles that the basketball superstar will soon be making a grander appearance north of Figueroa at Staples Center.

The Lakers (23-20) have sputtered in James' absence, losing six of nine games since he strained his left groin on Christmas. While an MRI confirmed just a strain, there had been hope that James would have returned by now.

The Lakers medical staff examined James on Thursday with another update coming Wednesday. Head coach Luke Walton confirmed the Lakers "will continue to be patient" with James' return.

"LeBron, as you know, he takes care of himself when it comes to seeing doctors and taking care of his body," Walton told reporters Friday. "So, as soon as he’s cleared and ready to go then we’ll get him back out there."

The Lakers, who currently have the eighth-best record in the Western Conference, will be without James in home games this week against Eastern Conference bottom dwellers. Walton's squad host the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-35) on Sunday and the Chicago Bulls (10-33) on Tuesday.

The earliest James could return is a road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

James has posted typical numbers in his first season in Los Angeles. The 34-year-old leads the Lakers in scoring (27.3), rebounds (8.3) and assists (7.1). James has helped lead the Lakers to a 20-14 season record before his injury — a sharp turnaround from 2017-18 when the Lakers were 11-23.

Kyle Kuzma has picked up the slack in James' absence, with three games of 24 points or more. The 23-year-old on Thursday scored a career-high 41 points in three quarters against the Detroit Pistons.