LeBron James walked with a noticeable limp following the Lakers’ 111-108 win over the Mavericks on Sunday.
He missed the next Lakers game on Tuesday. Later, the team announced that James’ injured right foot would be re-evaluated in two weeks, but the time frame for his return is likely to be longer.
The 38-year-old entered the game against Dallas with an ankle problem. Before suffering a more extensive foot injury, he took a few seconds to joke around with a superstar quarterback who was in the building.
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Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (6) handles the ball as Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (77) defends in the second half at American Airlines Center on February 26, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. The Lakers won 111-108. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The star quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs was sitting courtside with his wife Brittany. Before the referee handed the ball to James on the touchline, James joked with Mahomes and how they had something in common: injured ankles.
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«You’re not the only one playing with a fucking ankle, huh?» James joked before throwing the ball in bounds to a teammate.
WARNING: THE VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain in a divisional-round playoff game against the Jaguars in January. The following week, Mahomes battled through injury in the AFC Championship Game and led his team to victory over the Bengals.
During the AFC title game, Mahomes was hit late by a defender as he was running out of bounds. Defensive tackle Joseph Ossai was called for unnecessary roughness. The 15-yard penalty set up kicker Harrison Butker’s 45-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game.
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An anonymous NFL coach later accused Mahomes of failing in an effort to draw a flag.
«That’s what the owners want, $40 million skill players lying on the ground,» an NFC defensive coach told The Athletic, «getting fouls from chemistry teachers, medical device vendors and the like.»
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, sit courtside during a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center on February 26, 2023 in Dallas , Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
A few days later, Mahomes shrugged off the accusation.
«The thing that hurt the most was stopping. So once he pushed me, it would have been hard to put my foot down and try to stop. So I got over it,» Mahomes said, via The Kansas City Star’s Jesse Newell. . .
«You get there with the heaters and the benches and the people. That’s where, a lot of times, people get hurt. I think that’s why there’s a flag for being pushed out of bounds so late.»
A high ankle sprain generally takes four to six weeks to recover. But two weeks later, the Chiefs played the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. In the first half, Mahomes was tackled after he ran from the pocket.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (6) shoots the ball as Dallas Mavericks’ Christian Wood (35) defends in the first half of a game at American Airlines Center on February 26, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
James was seen wearing a walking boot on his right leg during Tuesday’s loss to Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. James recently emphasized the importance of the final stretch of the season.
«That’s 23 of the biggest games of my career, for the regular season,» James said.
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The Lakers are 29-33 and are 12th in the Western Conference standings. They wrap up a three-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.