LeBron James on Lakers Absence: 'If It Was Up to Just Me, I Probably Would've Played'

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was initially hesitant to take some time off to address a lingering foot injury.

"If it was up to just me, I probably would've played," he told reporters after Sunday's 116-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. "It would've been hard to keep me away from it. I have a team and I got to listen to them as well. They look out for my best interest."

James had 18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two blocks against Memphis.

Coming into the season, the four-time MVP set his goal at appearing in all 82 of the Lakers' regular-season games. That was a lofty target for a player who turns 40 this month, and head coach JJ Redick was already pushing back on it a bit by early December.

"I don't know that's in the best interest of him and us if he does that, but if he's feeling well and feeling good, then he should play," Redick said after a 109-80 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 4. "But we obviously want to ... manage that as best we can."

Injuries have been a recurring problem for James during his Lakers tenure. The 2023-24 campaign was the first time since signing with the team in 2019 that he logged 70-plus appearances.

Los Angeles could at least expect LeBron to perform close enough to his peak when he was healthy. Now, that may not be the case anymore. His scoring average (22.8 points) is his lowest since his rookie year in 2003-04, and his field-goal percentage has dropped from 54.0 to 49.2.

After Sunday's game, James acknowledged his foot soreness is "not behind me" and has "been lingering for the last few years."

Sometimes, it's one major injury that accelerates a legendary player's decline. Often, though, what does in even the greatest stars is an accumulation of minor knocks that prove harder and harder to overcome.

For the last decade, fans have heard James and his coaches express a desire to cut back his minutes and general workload. That idea eventually gets thrown out the window because he's simply too valuable on the court.

Now, it's impossible for even the 20-time All-Star to ignore the need to rest for stretches.

But with the Lakers sitting at 14-12 and 10th in the Western Conference, balancing James' health and their desire to make the playoffs will be a challenge.