Lakers Announce Season Debut News on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 7:47 PM ET

LeBron James has yet to make his season debut for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. It now appears that rookie Adou Thiero will beat James to it as the first-year small forward potentially prepares to play in the first NBA game of his career.

James has made significant progress in his road to recovery as he continues to deal with a nerve-related injury. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was recently assigned to the South Bay Lakers, L.A.’s NBA G League affiliate, to ramp up his recovery process. There is still no firm timetable on James’ return to action, but he is trending in the right direction.

Former Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (3) Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Thiero, on the other hand, has also been sidelined by injury. The 21-year-old is nursing a knee issue that has prevented him from making his NBA debut since being drafted by the Brooklyn Nets in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Thiero joined the Lakers in the offseason as part of the blockbuster trade deal that centered on Kevin Durant taking his talents to the Houston Rockets. L.A. was one of seven teams that were involved in that deal. The Lakers gave up rookie Rocco Zikarsky and cash as part of the multi-team trade, and they got Thiero in return.

On Friday night, the Lakers announced via the official injury report that Thiero has been cleared to play against the New Orleans Pelicans. This is the first time the former Arkansas Razorbacks standout has been listed as available to play this season.

It remains to be seen if Thiero will be able to crack head coach JJ Redick’s rotation on Friday night, but the fact that he has been given the green light for a potential NBA debut is a significant development for the rookie.

The Lakers enter Friday’s game with an 8-4 record. They are coming off a deflating 121-92 blowout loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Wednesday, and are looking to bounce back against the Pelicans.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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