Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James Could Make 2025-26 Season Debut In Mid-November

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James could make his 2025-26 season debut in mid-November, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN.

James, 40, will miss the start of the season because of sciatica on his right side.

“I’m told that the Lakers and LeBron are looking at around mid-November as a realistic debut for him,” Charania said. “And so October 30 would be the earliest that the Lakers would be officially re-evaluating LeBron James, but it is expected he will need at least a few weeks after that point. A source told me tonight that LeBron will be taking a patient approach with this rehab from nerve injury.

“And so the ramp-up process for this will be a lot of basketball shape conditioning work because remember, as I reported last week on NBA Today, LeBron James first suffered this nerve issue during an on-court workout in late July, early August. He wasn’t able to have that normal LeBron James offseason that we’re accustomed to. And as superhuman as he’s been throughout his NBA career, he is turning 41 in December and he is in Year 23. So that’s the timeline on LeBron James, at some point in November, likely around that mid-November range.”

James is the oldest active player in the NBA. He turns 41 in December and has been in the league since 2003. The leading scorer in NBA history has one year left on his contract with the Lakers. He becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason for the first time since 2018.

The Lakers have 13 games in November. Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura will have to carry the offense while James is out.

James appeared in 70 games last season. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks and finished sixth in MVP voting and made the All-NBA Second Team.