Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, now 40, is facing one of the most challenging season starts of his illustrious career. A sudden injury and the team's cautious recovery decision have put an end to one durable record and threaten several other historic personal achievements for "The King."
Opening Night Streak Broken
According to the latest reports, LeBron James will be sidelined for at least 3 to 4 weeks due to a right sciatic nerve injury, confirming his absence from the opening games of the 2025-2026 season.
This means that LeBron James’ incredible streak of 22 consecutive Opening Night appearances since the start of his NBA career has officially been broken. This will be the first time in his 23 professional seasons that fans will not see him on the court for the season opener. This conservative recovery decision reflects the utmost caution the Lakers are taking with their 40-year-old star.
All-NBA Streak in Jeopardy
His absence early in the season also threatens another unparalleled achievement: a streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA selections. Although LeBron remains one of the league's top players, missing an estimated 7 to 10 games early on, combined with the possibility of being restricted from playing in back-to-back contests, could mean his total games played may not reach the necessary threshold to compete for an All-NBA spot.
Many experts believe the Lakers will implement a stricter load management strategy for James throughout this season, especially as he enters the final years of his career. The goal now is to keep LeBron as healthy as possible for the Playoffs, rather than pursuing personal records during the regular season.
The Lakers' Immediate Future
During James' absence, the scoring and playmaking load will heavily fall on the shoulders of the two remaining stars, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Doncic, who is projected to gradually take over the franchise lead, needs to demonstrate his offensive leadership from the start. Meanwhile, Reaves must continue to develop his role as a playmaker and scorer to ensure the Lakers don't fall into a dire situation while "The King" recovers. James' absence is a stern test of the team's depth and adaptability under the new coaching staff.
In summary, the 2025-2026 season opens a new chapter where the Lakers prioritize LeBron James' long-term care, accepting the tradeoff of ending some incredible streaks.