LeBron James' Knee Injury Much Worse Than Expected

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a brutal first-round loss to the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers were run out of their own gym and were gentleman swept by the much younger, explosive and athletic Timberwolves team. 

The Lakers were exposed in several areas, with roster construction issues surfacing throughout the series. Ultimately, the Timberwolves were simply the stronger team, and now Los Angeles will shift its focus to retooling for next season and beyond.

Before closing the chapter completely, it’s worth noting the Lakers had a real chance to extend the series to a Game 6. Had they done so, they would’ve needed to return to the Midwest to fight for their playoff lives. However, as it came out after the series ended, LeBron James would not have been available.

James suffered a knee injury late in Game 5 — later diagnosed as a sprained MCL. While he managed to finish the game, he would have been sidelined had the Lakers advanced. 

Now that their season is officially over, James has time to recover without rushing back. On the latest episode of Mind The Game, his podcast with Steve Nash, James revealed just how severe the pain was, admitting it was unlike anything he’s experienced before.

"When I woke up Thursday morning and tried to get out of bed, I was like, 'Holy s--t,' and I called doc right away. I said, 'I can't wait till Friday. I need to go today," said James. 

James admitted that he had dealt with knee ailments before, such as tendonitis, but this was the first time in his career that he had had this type of knee injury. The 40-year-old superstar also said that once he collided with Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, he knew the severity of the injury. 

Just two days after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James had been diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee. James later confirmed the injury himself, adding that team doctors estimated a recovery window of four to six weeks.

James will do his best to recover, but while that is the case, his future hangs in the balance. 

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