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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were sent home by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. During that series, James encountered a stray contact with Donte Divincenzo and ended up with a torn MCL. LeBron has faced only a few major injuries in his career, as he has been an iron man since day one.
LeBron has stayed relatively healthy but is not new to rehab. James has been a fan of a process called “bio-hacking” by which he uses advanced scientific methods to prepare his body for the grind of a season. He credits his regimen as a large part of why he’s still playing 22 years after being drafted in 2003.
Now, he is preparing for an arduous return. At 40 years old, James is struggling to recover as quickly as he would like. He spoke on his podcast, Mind the Game, with cohost Steve Nash about how difficult the past few weeks have already been.
“Even though I can’t do much as far as lower body stuff, I’m still in the weight room, I can still get it in the upper body. I’m not a guy that likes to sit around … They tell you to take at least two weeks off at the end of the season, but I’m just not that guy,” started James. “I’m going crazy right now. Stir crazy.”
Being cooped up and unable to do what you normally would is a unique type of pain. It is one that most of us only know by being stuck in bed with an illness instead of with a major ligament tear, but it’s something many can relate to nonetheless.
As the old adage says, there is no better recovery method than laughter. The youngest child of the James family, Zhuri, has been helping her father in that regard.
As he went on, James shared that he wanted to spend more time swimming, largely due to its health benefits, before admitting that his daughter was a huge part of the motivation. “I can mess around a little bit with my daughter, so that helps. Just trying to stay active … My daughter is a big pool girl, so that definitely is a reason for me to get in there,” said LeBron.
James has a history of working out with Zhuri in attendance and plans to continue that this offseason. Whether she’s a good luck charm or a minor participant is uncertain, but if she keeps him having fun, there’s no way it could be a bad thing.
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Celtics Roster ‘Makes Zero Sense’ Says NBA Insider
Bleacher Report's Dan Favale listed the Boston Celtics' roster as one of five which 'make no sense' ahead of the 2025-26 season. Favale cited the Celtics' notable lack of presence in their frontcourt as a major issue for the Eastern powerhouse heading into an uncertain season with their superstar player out. More news: Former Celtics NBA Champion Released By West Squad "Beantown's 4-5 rotation is currently populated by Sam Hauser, Georges Niang, Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta, Josh Minnott and Luka Garza," said Favale. "That is rough. Especially when it's only a matter of time before Hauser or Niang ambles his way onto the chopping block as the Celtics continue to slash operating costs. "Perhaps Boston will snare another 4 and/or 5 as part of subsequent trades. Or maybe it's secretly hoping Al Horford will get tired of being held hostage by restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga and return on the minimum. "Whatever the Celtics are doing here, no matter how out-of-the-mix they're attempting to be, the frontcourt needs more juice." The Celtics definitely have a need for bigs and have a plethora of guards, and will need to get bigger if they are to compete in a physical conference. The Celtics are notably tight on money, so a signing feels unlikely; however, after waiving G League MVP JD Davison, they have a spot on their roster to make a surprise move, perhaps for Horford potentially. More news: Jayson Tatum Receives Injury Advice From Former Celtics Forward Whether or not that is the case, the Celtics intend to compete this season, and will definitely need more size in order to hang around some of the better teams in the conference. For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
‘In What World Does This Make Sense?????’: Oilers and $63M Forward
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
Dustin Rhodes Assigns Blame After Hulk Hogan’s Death
Following the shocking news of Hulk Hogan’s passing, wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes, known to millions as Goldust in WWE, took to social media to share a deeply personal and provocative reaction: “Hospitals truly kill people. I really do mean that.” Rhodes’ blunt statement stunned many fans, but those who know his story saw the pain behind the words. His father, the iconic Dusty Rhodes, passed away in 2015, aged 69, after a fall at home led to hospitalization for kidney failure. After his father's passing, Dustin shared a contemplative response on WWE's YouTube channel to discuss the legacy his father left behind. The news of Hogan's death comes just a month after reports suggested he was on his "deathbed" after undergoing a neck procedure back in May. Hogan's reps denied that was the case. In June, US Weekly reported that Hogan had also undergone a "pretty serious heart surgery and was doing well afterward." Dustin’s connection to his brother Cody Rhodes, now a top WWE superstar and face of the company’s next generation, is unbreakable. The Rhodes family legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of pro wrestling history, and seeing another legend like Hogan pass has clearly hit close to home. While Goldust and Hulk Hogan never had a headline-grabbing rivalry, they did share the ring once. It occurred in WCW in 2000 when Dustin Rhodes matched up against Hogan. Although their paths didn’t often cross in the squared circle, Hogan and the Rhodes family were part of the same larger-than-life era that helped define pro wrestling for decades and catapult the sport into society's zeitgeist. Rhodes’ comment about hospitals might not sit well with everyone, but it speaks to a raw and honest pain felt by someone who has seen too many legends, both personal and professional, fade away in similar fashion. The sport of wrestling has endured more than its fair share of lives cut short. As tributes continue to pour in for Hogan, Rhodes’ reaction serves as a powerful, if somber, reminder of the real human emotions behind the wrestling personas.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
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