The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has missed the start of the 2025-26 season due to sciatica.

LeBron James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds over 70 games last season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James is ready for contact basketball activity, and he will be re-evaluated by the Los Angeles Lakers’ team physician in one to two weeks as he prepares to begin his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.

James has yet to play this season or practice with the Lakers after being shut down early in training camp due to sciatica, a lower-body nerve problem. The next step in his recovery is five-on-five basketball work in practice, but it’s unclear when that could begin because the Lakers are headed out on a five-game road trip beginning Saturday in Atlanta, and James isn’t expected to travel with the team.

The 40-year-old James has been working out individually in recent weeks. The Lakers announced James’ progression to contact basketball on Thursday, exactly four weeks after the team initially said the top scorer in NBA history would be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

“We don’t have a target date,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said last week of James’ progress. “It’s just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he’s kind of checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November.”

If James wants on-court work while the Lakers are on the road, he could conceivably join the Lakers’ G League affiliate at the team’s training complex in El Segundo. The Lakers’ next home game is Nov. 18.

The Lakers have played remarkably well in James’ absence, stoking fans’ excitement about being a possible contender six seasons after James and Anthony Davis won the franchise’s 17th championship in the Florida bubble.

Luka Doncic scored 35 points while the Lakers held off San Antonio 118-116 on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive win, including three in four nights.

Los Angeles is 7-2 even with James sidelined all season and with Doncic and Austin Reaves missing significant time because of injuries and rest.

The sound of basketballs echoing through the Lakers’ practice facility is familiar, but this week, one particular rhythm drew extra attention — the squeak of sneakers, the deep exhale before a drive, the low thud of contact as LeBron James lowered his shoulder and attacked the rim again. After months of speculation, rest, and carefully managed rehab, the 40-year-old superstar has officially been cleared for contact basketball activity as he inches closer to his season debut. For teammates, coaches, and fans alike, it feels less like a milestone and more like the beginning of another improbable chapter in one of the greatest careers in sports history.

LeBron’s offseason was unlike any he’s had before. After exiting the previous year’s playoffs dealing with a lingering foot injury and general fatigue, he made the rare decision to prioritize rest over competition — skipping Team USA’s Olympic training camp for the first time in years. He spent most of the summer in what he described as “body reset mode,” a regimen of therapy, film study, and limited skill work. At the time, he admitted to reporters that he was still uncertain about his playing timeline, adding, “I know my body better than anyone. I’ll be back when I can play the game the way I expect of myself.”

Now, with his return on the horizon, the questions have shifted from if to when. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said after Thursday’s practice that LeBron participated in controlled 5-on-5 drills for the first time this preseason. “He looked strong,” Ham said. “He’s absorbing contact, moving well, communicating. The energy changed when he stepped on the court. You can feel it.” The team’s medical staff confirmed that James showed no residual discomfort and would gradually ramp up minutes in full scrimmages over the next week.

For a player entering his 22nd NBA season, the sight of him cutting hard through the lane and taking hits in practice is astonishing in itself. LeBron has defied the physical limits of basketball longevity for nearly two decades — a combination of elite genetics, meticulous care, and an obsession with detail. Every offseason, he invests heavily in his body, reportedly spending over $1.5 million annually on personal trainers, recovery technology, and nutrition. This year, that investment seems to be paying off again. Team sources say his conditioning remains at “midseason levels,” even before playing a game.

Teammates spoke with reverence after the session. Anthony Davis smiled when asked what it felt like to share the floor with LeBron again. “It’s just different,” he said. “When he’s out there, everyone’s locked in. It’s like a sense of calm and urgency at the same time.” Austin Reaves echoed that sentiment, adding, “He sees everything before it happens. Even in a scrimmage, he’s calling out rotations, reading defenses. You forget how much that helps until he’s back.”

LeBron’s return carries significance beyond the Lakers’ immediate roster. At 40, he continues to test the boundaries of what’s possible for an aging athlete in a physically brutal sport. His 21st-season averages — 25 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists per game — were unmatched in NBA history for a player his age. Now, as he prepares for season 22, he’s not just chasing another playoff run; he’s redefining what longevity looks like for the modern athlete.

Still, both LeBron and the Lakers are proceeding with caution. The plan, insiders say, is to manage his minutes carefully during the first month of the season, perhaps limiting him to around 30 per game early on. The team’s performance staff is emphasizing “smart intensity” — maintaining competitive sharpness without overextending him physically. “We’ve got a marathon ahead,” Ham said. “The goal is to have him feeling fresh in April, May, and hopefully June.”

Those close to LeBron say the time away has sharpened his perspective. “He’s more locked in mentally than I’ve seen in years,” one longtime trainer noted. “There’s a quiet focus to him — less noise, more intent. Every drill, every rep, he’s measuring where his body is. He’s not just coming back to play; he’s coming back to dominate.”

The timing of his return could not be more critical. The Lakers, currently hovering around the middle of the Western Conference standings, have struggled to find offensive rhythm without their leader on the floor. Davis has carried the scoring load, and young guards like Reaves and D’Angelo Russell have provided flashes, but the team has missed LeBron’s orchestration — his ability to slow the game down when needed, to turn chaos into precision.

Ham admitted as much earlier this week. “You can game plan all you want, but LeBron’s IQ is our engine,” he said. “When he’s in the lineup, spacing changes, tempo changes, confidence changes. Guys play freer because they know he’ll find them.”

LeBron’s rehab journey was meticulously documented by his inner circle, though he kept most of it private. Sources say he trained six days a week, combining strength maintenance with low-impact cardio, swimming, and pool resistance sessions. He also adopted a modified plant-based diet during recovery, cutting back on red meat and increasing hydration and sleep. On social media, he occasionally dropped cryptic posts — videos of him lifting, short messages like “Still hungry” or “The marathon continues.” For fans, these were hints that the King was plotting another comeback.

The decision to delay his season debut was strategic. Both LeBron and the Lakers agreed that rushing back could risk re-injury, especially considering the long grind of an 82-game schedule. The team’s medical staff emphasized the importance of returning only when he could fully absorb physical contact without pain or hesitation. “The first hit tells you everything,” Ham said. “He took a couple of bumps in practice today, smiled, and said, ‘That’s what I needed.’ You could tell he was relieved.”

For LeBron, the motivation runs deeper than just another season. Each year brings him closer to two historic milestones — surpassing 40,000 career points and potentially playing alongside his eldest son, Bronny James, who recently began his college career at USC. The idea of sharing an NBA court with his son has become both a dream and a driving force. “That would be the storybook ending,” said a source close to LeBron. “He talks about it all the time, but only in private — like a quiet goal that keeps him pushing.”

If there’s fatigue in his voice when discussing longevity, it’s outweighed by curiosity. “I don’t really think about age,” LeBron told ESPN during a preseason media session. “I just think about moments — what I can still do, what still motivates me. When I feel like I can’t impact winning, that’s when I’ll know it’s time. Until then, I’m not going anywhere.”

Around the league, the anticipation for his return is palpable. NBA veterans who entered the league years after LeBron still speak of him as both peer and idol. Kevin Durant called him “the blueprint.” Steph Curry, when asked about LeBron’s comeback timeline, said, “You never count him out. He’s been rewriting rules since he was 18.” Even young stars like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum frequently reference LeBron’s longevity as the standard to emulate.

As the Lakers prepare for a string of upcoming games, internal discussions are underway about when to officially activate him. Team sources hint that his debut could come as early as the upcoming home stand — provided his body responds well to consecutive contact sessions. The organization is careful not to commit to a date, but optimism is high. “You can see it in the way the guys are practicing,” Ham said. “Everyone’s energy lifted 20 percent the minute he started running drills.”

Off the court, LeBron’s influence continues to ripple across culture, business, and philanthropy. His media company, SpringHill Entertainment, is expanding into documentary storytelling; his I PROMISE school in Akron continues to support hundreds of families; and his investment ventures have solidified him as a billionaire athlete with reach far beyond basketball. Yet those closest to him say that competing remains his first love. “He could’ve walked away a couple years ago and had nothing left to prove,” Davis said. “But he still talks about the game with that same hunger — that kid from Akron never left.”

As he scrimmaged at full speed this week, witnesses described flashes of the old LeBron — the burst on the baseline, the no-look passes, the full-court chest-out sprint that ended in a two-hand dunk. Teammates erupted, clapping and laughing as if they were seeing a familiar ghost return. He jogged back on defense, smiling. “That’s what I needed,” he said again.

Whether this season ends with another deep playoff run or not, LeBron’s mere presence transforms the Lakers’ outlook. Younger players will get guidance; the locker room regains structure; the fan base regains belief. Every season since he entered the league, LeBron James has carried that dual burden — of expectation and inspiration — and even now, in his forties, it hasn’t faded.

By the time he finally makes his season debut, all eyes will again be fixed on him, as they have been for more than two decades. The arenas will hum with anticipation, phones will rise to record, and somewhere in the stands, a new generation of fans — who weren’t even born when he was drafted — will watch the living legend go to work.

For now, though, it’s enough to know that he’s back on the court, taking hits, sweating through drills, and smiling at the contact. After all these years, after countless milestones and expectations, that’s where LeBron James has always belonged — between the lines, under the lights, turning preparation into history one play at a time.