LeBron James hasn't missed many games due to injury over the course of his 16 years in the NBA, but his streak of 156 consecutive games played will come to an end Thursday night in Sacramento thanks to a "significant" left groin strain. And he's likely to miss even more action in the coming weeks.
The Los Angeles Lakers' supertar is currently listed as "day-to-day" after suffering a groin injury in the Lakers' Christmas Day win against the Golden State Warriors. That said, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the team is preparing for the four-time NBA MVP to miss multiple games.
Woj writes: "A timeline for James' return is further complicated by the fact that he has never had to navigate this severe of a groin injury and still needs to gain an understanding of how his body will respond to treatment. James has displayed a tremendous capacity throughout his career to avoid extended absences with injury, but sources expected the Lakers and James will be careful not to risk further aggravation of the groin by returning too quickly."
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The 33-year old superstar is currently averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists in his first season with the Lakers. More importantly, he has led the Lakers to fourth place in the tightly contested Western Conference with a 20-16 record.
The LeBron-less Lakers will take on the Kings tonight, followed by a four-game home stint featuring games against the Clippers, Kings, Thunder and Knicks.