LeBron James suffered UCL injury in Lakers' Game 5 loss

LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during the Lakers‘ series-ending loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James underwent an MRI on Thursday, revealing the extent of the damage.

The injury occurred in a collision with Donte DiVincenzo midway through the fourth quarter of Game 5. James collapsed to the court in pain and briefly checked out to have the knee examined by the team’s trainer before returning to the game. DiVincenzo was whistled for a foul on the play for a moving screen.

The injury typically involves a recovery timeline of three to five weeks, the source told McMenamin, so James likely wouldn’t have been able to return until the Western Conference Finals or the NBA Finals if L.A. hadn’t been eliminated. McMenamin adds that it would have ended his NBA record streak of appearing in 292 straight playoff games.

James continued to produce at a remarkable level in his 22nd NBA season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games and putting himself in contention for All-NBA honors. He holds a $52.6M player option for 2025-26, but wasn’t ready to commit to playing another season when speaking to reporters following Wednesday’s game.