LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a recent injury, but Charles Barkley dismissed it, saying, “He is just old.” In an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, the ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame forward said James’ ailment was more a result of ageing than a serious medical issue.

Barkley‘s Perspective On LeBron’s Age

At 40 years old and in his 23rd NBA season, James has faced various challenges, including a current issue with sciatica. Barkley believes this is a common ailment for older athletes. He remarked, ‘He’s just old. Everybody gets old. He says it’s sciatica. You know what that means, Dan? Yeah, I know his back hurts,” Barkley said. “All old people’s back hurt, Dan. All old people’s back hurt. You can dress it up like sciatica. You can come up with all these medical terms. LeBron is old.’ This statement highlights Barkley’s view that the Lakers are simply allowing James time to adapt to his age.

Lakers’ Injury Updates

James is almost ready to return to the court, according to Lakers head coach JJ Reddick. Luka Doncic, meanwhile, is also listed as injured due to a lower left leg contusion and a sprained left finger. In spite of these losses, the Lakers have won two of their previous three games and most recently defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves by a slim margin, 116-115.

The Lakers are set to face the Memphis Grizzlies in their first NBA Cup game of the season. Veteran centre Deandre Ayton expressed enthusiasm for the heightened competition during these tournament matches, stating, ‘We know games like this are when we turn it up a notch.’ The team aims to carry their recent momentum into this important matchup.

The Lakers continue to carefully manage their players’ ailments as they get ready for the NBA Cup, making sure they stay competitive all season long.