Could LeBron James' sciatica injury end his career? What doctors are saying
The prolonged recovery has fueled speculation among fans that the injury could push LeBron James toward retirement.
LeBron James has yet to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers this season as he continues to recover from a nagging sciatica injury. In early October, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the 40-year-old is sidelined with nerve irritation in his glute and would likely miss all of preseason. On October 9, the team announced he would be out at least 3–4 weeks. However, the recovery timeline has since lengthened. Ahead of Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters that LeBron is now targeting a return in the second or third week of November. This means the four-time MVP, entering his 23rd NBA season, will miss at least the first 10 regular-season games.
Fans fear possible retirement
The prolonged recovery has fueled speculation among fans that the injury could push LeBron toward retirement.
EssentiallySports spoke with Dr. Jay Shah, Medical Director of Sports Medicine at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, who offered insight into sciatica.
"Sciatica is an umbrella term and can mean a few different things. But overall, there is a nerve impingement,” he explained. "Recovery can take a couple of weeks or a couple of months. It depends on how LeBron feels with the treatment he is receiving"
When asked if this could end LeBron James' career, Dr. Shah told the outlet, “I don’t think this is his last year. Back pain, nerves, and sciatica can be tricky. But it would take a lot for LeBron to retire based on just this injury.”
Dr. Igor Prus, sports medicine physician at Endeavor Health, added, "Timeline depends on severity: mild irritation may resolve in 1–2 weeks with rest and anti-inflammatories; moderate cases take 4–6 weeks; severe compression may require nerve injections."
