LeBron James is set to practice with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, marking the first time he will join the team on the court since being sidelined in the preseason with sciatica, multiple outlets reported Sunday.
James’ recovery took a step forward last week when he was assigned to the franchise’s G League affiliate and practiced with the South Bay Lakers.
The Lakers announced during the first week of preseason games in October that James would miss the start of the season. It marked the first time in his career that James missed a season opener.
The 40-year-old is set to become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons when he makes his season debut. After completing a five-game road trip with a 24-point win on Saturday at Milwaukee, the Lakers play five of their next six games at home starting Tuesday against the Utah Jazz.
Without James, Los Angeles has opened the season with a 10-4 record to pace the Pacific Division.
The leading scorer in NBA history averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game last season, finishing sixth in Most Valuable Player balloting and earning second-team All-NBA honors.
The 21-time All-Star, four-time MVP and four-time NBA champion has scored 42,184 points and ranks second all-time in games played (1,562) behind Robert Parish (1,611).
