LeBron James is getting closer to returning to action again, but the Lakers star is returning to a team that has built real momentum without him.
He's been damn close after completing his first full practice on Monday and having his status questionable heading into the Lakers' game against the Jazz on Tuesday.
“We still have a long time,” James said. “I mean, we literally spent a minute, an hour, step by step throughout this whole process. So, look at how I feel this afternoon, look at how I feel tonight. When I wake up in the morning…we might [a] Shooting practice [Tuesday]. So, just see how your body reacts over the next 24+ hours. “
He added, “Obviously, my lungs feel like a newborn baby. That's the most important thing. I have to get my lungs back to the level of an adult.”
The Lakers have performed better than anyone expected in his absence and currently sit at 10-4 behind the explosive tandem of Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves.
As James heads into his NBA-record 23rd season, he acknowledged the layoffs are an adjustment.
“It sucks. It definitely sucks,” James said. “I've never not started a season since I started playing basketball — in my whole life. It's a mental test, but I'm built for this, and I've been working hard mentally and physically to get myself ready to get back on the team.
“It's been like a revolving door. Just repeat, repeat, repeat; rehab, rehab, rehab. Just trying to get back to where I can feel myself again. It's great to be here today.”
The nearly 41-year-old compared his return to a child going to a new school.
“I have to work hard to get back on track,” James said. “The guys have been doing road trips, shootarounds, flying. So it's kind of like a kid going to a new school.”
He's back.
LeBron James shoots at the end of Lakers practice. pic.twitter.com/lOdu78y8x4
— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) November 17, 2025
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