LeBron James could make Lakers season debut this week

The Lakers have been doing just fine without LeBron James. They want him back anyway.

And the good news is he appears to be close. Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James could make his season debut as soon as Tuesday, when the Lakers host the Jazz.

Interestingly, L.A. gets four days off before playing Utah again — this time on the road. It might make more sense to wait until the second Jazz meeting. But if James, 40, wants to go in the first one, history tells us he will.

He’s been out since training camp with sciatica on his right side, though he did practice with the G League’s South Bay Lakers last week. Multiple reports suggest he’s very close.

Meanwhile, even without LeBron, the Lakers blew out the Bucks in Milwaukee on Saturday. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have powered their 10–4 start, and you can’t overlook JJ Redick’s influence in his second season as coach.

But again, they’re eager to see how much better they can look with the league’s all-time leading scorer back in uniform.