LeBron James facing a 'lengthy absence' with abdominal injury?

The Los Angeles Lakers will not have LeBron James for a few games, but there are some hints that he might be out longer than anticipated.

James is sidelined with an abdominal strain, and the Lakers have not put a firm timetable on his potential return. Coach Frank Vogel would only say on Saturday that James will likely be out at least a week, but offered no clarity beyond that.

It might be longer than that, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. Oram spoke to former Lakers strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco, who said even minor abdominal strains can keep players out for four to eight weeks.

“Especially the way he plays, it’s tough for me to see him getting back under four weeks,” DiFrancesco said. “Then again, he’s a different dude, so I wouldn’t put anything past him. … These are such delicate injuries that can respond to rest with pain relief quickly, but they are highly susceptible to re-injury if returned too quickly.”

DiFrancesco also went into detail about the nature of the injury and recovery from it in an Instagram post.