LeBron James drops brutal admission on knee injury even if Lakers won

When LeBron James was diagnosed with an MCL injury after the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 5 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was a win or a loss.

As durable as James is, an MCL injury is a serious one. He explained on the Mind The Game Podcast regarding the injury.

“I knew as soon as the impact happen with me and DiVincenzo I felt it right away, my knee locked up and that’s why I stayed on the ground for quite a minute to see if the knee would kind of release a little bit, but I knew right there it was a pain that I haven’t felt before,” James said.

“When I was running back to close out and he collided into me, my knee bent inward, and that’s the MCL injury that I have. Four to six weeks the doctor told me. I have four to six weeks now, that’s the benefit of not going on in the postseason. I wish I was still going, but unfortunately, even if we had won game five at home, I would have probably missed six and seven, and even further.”

LeBron James wouldn’t have played in the Lakers’ remaining games

Again, a four to six-week recovery is long. However, James is as durable as it gets. Still, it’s preferred to err on the side of caution with the 41-year-old.

Besides Luka Doncic, he was the key contributor offensively and defensively. No matter what, the Lakers would’ve missed his presence on the floor.

Furthermore, the Timberwolves were on a roll with their hot shooting from three. Guys like Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid were not making life any easier for Los Angeles.

Either way, James indicates that the series might not have changed at all, had they won Game 5. They would’ve had to go back to Minnesota for a Game 6.

The Lakers didn’t win a game in Minnesota, so that next game could’ve been the foreseeable nail in the coffin.

At the end of the day, James will have plenty of time to recover from his injury. If James decides to play next season, the Lakers could run it back with him and Doncic.

That duo alone struck fear into the NBA. A full year of chemistry, combined with JJ Redick’s second season, could be the ultimate recipe for success.

Hopefully, an MCL injury isn’t the straw that breaks James’s back for the remainder of his career.