Two hours after the game, the Lakers announced that James is out indefinitely. The defending National Basketball Association (NBA) champions already are without All-NBA big man Anthony Davis, who has missed 14 consecutive games with a right calf injury and likely won’t play again until April.
“Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates!” James tweeted later Saturday. “I’m hurt inside and out right now. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left.”
James was hurt when he rolled his ankle under Solomon Hill, who was called for a foul as he reached awkwardly for a steal. The 36-year-old superstar screamed and fell to the court clutching at his ankle, yet he got up and briefly stayed in the game.
“I haven’t necessarily seen him scream and squall like that, probably ever, not even with that groin,” said Kyle Kuzma, who was with the Lakers when James missed 17 games with a groin injury two seasons ago. “It had to hurt a little bit, for sure.”
After the injury, James hit a corner three-pointer that extended his NBA-record streak of games with at least 10 points to 1,036, but he called a timeout and left the court shortly afterward. James knocked over a chair in frustration as he went to the locker room.
“The mood of the team is we’re disappointed we lost, and we’ve got to come back and get one tomorrow,” Lakers Coach Frank Vogel said. “I won’t disclose what LeBron was like [in the locker room]. It’s in-house.”
Montrezl Harrell suggested Hill’s actions during James’s injury were “not a basketball play,” and said the officials should have considered giving him more than a personal foul.
Image credits: AP