Lakers’ James ruled out for 3 weeks with foot injury

LOS ANGELES: LeBron James will be sidelined for at least three weeks due to a right foot injury, his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, said on Thursday.

The NBA’s all-time top scorer left the arena with a limp after Sunday’s 111-108 win against the Dallas Mavericks and the team said examinations had found a tendon injury.

“LeBron James has been evaluated by Lakers team physicians and medical staff, and it has been determined that he has sustained a right foot tendon injury. James will be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks,” the team said in a statement.

The Lakers were without James for Tuesday’s defeat to Memphis and he could miss the next ten games for the team, which is 11th in the Western Conference.

James, 38, has been in blistering form for the Lakers this season, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists while also breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record in early February.

The loss of James could sorely damage the Lakers ambitions of making the post-season in James’ 20th season in the league.

A tenth place finish would be enough for a spot in the play-in tournament. The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed playoff places. – AFP