Revealing the Sciatic Nerve Pain of 40-Year-Old James: Ongoing for Over Two and a Half Months, Unrelated to Golf

On October 11th Beijing time, according to renowned reporter Shams, 40-year-old Lakers star James is dealing with sciatic nerve problems, which are anticipated to keep him out of the opening phase of the 2025-26 season, andhave persisted for over two months now.

Shams stated on the program,that James’s injury “initially emerged during a court training session from late July to early August.” He also noted that due to this injury, James “had not engaged in much basketball-related training for over a month before the training camp started on September 30th.”

NBA injury expert Bell explained that sciatica is a symptom caused by irritation, inflammation, or compression of the sciatic nerve, and the name itself reveals the core issue. The key is to identify the cause because there are many reasons that can lead to sciatica.

It could be related to problems in the lumbar spine, such as disc abnormalities or inflammation irritating the nerve; or it might be caused by nerve compression or irritation as it passes through the gluteal muscles. The sciatic nerve extends widely from the buttocks down to the hamstrings, behind the knees, then to the lower legs, feet, and branches to the toes. Patients may experience pain, burning, numbness, or tingling anywhere along the nerve’s distribution.

Therefore, the symptoms and recovery times for sciatica vary greatly. Treatment can involve conservative physical therapy aimed at reducing irritation and inflammation; if necessary, more aggressive treatments like oral steroids may be used, and if the issue is spine-related, epidural steroid injections might be administered.

Thus, recovery duration entirely depends on the specific cause, ranging from a few weeks to several months, with some cases prone to recurrence.

Bell also mentioned that no one likes to admit that middle age contributes to such problems, but in fact, James’s age fits the typical demographic for sciatica.This is referred to as “age-related degenerative changes.” Although it sounds serious, it is simply part of the aging process. For an athlete like him who has competed at the highest level for a long time, experiencing such age-related physical changes is expected.

Reporter Windhorst responded to the rumors about golf causing this injury.

“I want to address a common question — after the Lakers announced the news, I received many messages asking if this could be a golf-related injury, since James has been playing golf all summer, and golfers do tend to develop sciatica.”

“But one thing to clarify: for right-handed golfers, sciatica usually occurs on the left side because that side is the primary source of rotational force. Although LeBron’s swing rotation isn’t outstanding, he has been improving. Sothis injury is related to basketball, not golf.”

“Additionally, two points need to be added: first, James had injury issues early this summer. After last season ended, he sprained his knee and missed about six weeks recovering. This disrupted his entire summer conditioning and performance improvement plan, affecting both his ability to manage sciatica and his subsequent recovery training. This is one reason the Lakers are handling the situation cautiously.”

“Second, James has had disc problems during his career. I’m not saying this is definitely the cause of the current sciatica. As Bell said, there are many possible causes. But he has undergone multiple epidural injections to reduce lower back inflammation, and each time he recovered well.”

Lakers reporter McMenamin also discussed the impact of James’s injury.

The first concern is how the Lakers will be affected during James’s absence. This presents an opportunity for Doncic—who signed a contract extension with the team during the offseason. At 26, he is at the peak of his career. The Lakers view this period as a chance for him to “establish himself as the team’s interim leader,” hoping he can bring the leadership he showed in the European Cup to the NBA court.

At the same time, it’s a chance to test the depth of the Lakers’ roster. Pelinka used limited assets to acquire players like Ayton, LaRavia, and Smart. We’ll see how these newcomers fit in; Vincent and Vanderbilt’s post-injury conditions are also worth watching.

James will undoubtedly keep a close eye on the team’s performance while recovering. If the team struggles during his absence, it could affect the trajectory of the season.Shams previously reported that Rich Paul (James’s agent) said he and James will monitor every move the Lakers make, as the current primary goal is “winning.” If the team cannot win, James might have to consider other options to chase a championship.