LeBron James is entering another NBA season with the kind of wear and tear that usually shows up much later in a career - if it shows up at all.
As he closes in on his 42nd birthday, James is dealing with more than the normal opening-night bumps. Reports have pointed to lingering back issues from sciatica, along with chronic arthritis in his left foot, giving the 76ers veteran a pair of ailments to manage as the season begins.
James missed the start of last season because of sciatica in his lower back, then settled in and played at a high level once he returned. He was also the only Lakers star fully available in the playoffs while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves dealt with injuries.
Even now, the effects appear to be hanging around. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported earlier in October that the 76ers’ medical staff pays "special attention" to James' lower back so he can manage after last year’s sciatica episode.
Sciatica comes from compressed nerves in the lower spine and can create pain that travels down one side of the body into the leg. Last season, JJ Redick said James was dealing with "nerve irritation in his glute," with the discomfort on the right side. McMenamin’s report suggests the focus now is on the lower back.
The foot issue is not new either. McMenamin said James has "chronic arthritis" in his left foot, and The Athletic reported that he dealt with foot arthritis through his final season with the Lakers, which also put him on the injury report. James was able to play through that problem last season, even as the sciatica was described as "debilitating" at its worst.
Neither condition is the kind of thing usually attached to an NBA injury report, but James is not in a normal situation. After 24 seasons, this is what the territory looks like. And now, in his first season with the 76ers, he’s being asked to keep managing it.
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