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Charles Barkley says LeBron James must face reality over injury, ‘you know what that means’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Pocholo Magsino | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 3:30 PM ET

LeBron James has not played a single minute in the 2025-26 NBA season. Before the campaign even began, he was ruled out with sciatica in his lower back. Now, people like Charles Barkley understand that it is a sign of James’ aging body.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been an interesting team to watch in the 2025-26 season. They have not had LeBron James throughout all six games to start the year, but they still have a strong 4-2 record. Luka Doncic remains their superstar, as shown by his performances. On the other hand, Austin Reaves has been on a tear, which could lessen James’ role when he returns.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick is doing well with their current squad, which could improve further with James’ return soon. However, many people, including Charles Barkley, think this is a natural occurrence for an older player like James.

In the meantime, the Lakers are doing well enough without him. It is a promising sign because James will only help the team when he returns sometime soon. However, Barkley thinks the Lakers are being nice with their approach to this latest injury.

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Barkley knows James’ injury is mostly because of his age

As arguably the greatest player in NBA history, James is always under the spotlight. Considering he has been in the league since 2003, some people think that James is indestructible with his longevity.

Unfortunately, James is still human, so dealing with sciatica should not be surprising. Barkley notes that this is a natural consequence of an aging body. It is normal for James to deal with this because he is in his 40s.

Thankfully, James is still in amazing physical condition, so he can shake this off soon. However, it is a sign that the Lakers are entering a new era with Doncic as the cornerstone, especially with James in the final year of his deal after opting into his player option in the 2025 offseason.

“He’s just old. Everybody gets old. He says it’s sciatica. You know what that means, Yeah, I know his back hurts. All old people’s backs hurt, Dan. You can dress it up like sciatica. You can come up with all these medical terms. LeBron is old,” Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show.

The Lakers still have plenty of games to play

Since the Lakers are only six games into the season, they should have a long year ahead of them. Doncic and Reaves are doing well with how they are carrying the responsibilities while James is out. It might be a bit messy when he returns, but they have good enough chemistry to coexist.

Thankfully for Lakers fans, they can trust other players besides James to step up. This is a new development after seven years of James carrying the torch for the team. James has two teammates cementing themselves with otherworldly performances to start the season.

Luka Doncic over his last 3 games:

44 PTS – 12 REB – 6 3PM
49 PTS – 11 REB – 8 AST
43 PTS – 12 REB – 9 AST

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James will probably make his return sometime soon, but he can still take some time with his spell on the sidelines. With how the team is performing without him, a gradual return is the best approach they can take.

It will still be a tough campaign in the Western Conference, but the Lakers can go very far without having to over-exert James.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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