Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has revealed he refused to have surgery on his right foot so he could compete in the final sprint to the playoffs after his team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
LBJ, who was making his return after four weeks of absence, explained in the post-match conference that he tore a tendon. However, he chose not to have the surgery, following the advice of the “LeBron James of the feet”, as he presented it.
The 38-year-old James scored 19 points and eight rebounds against Chicago as he started on the bench for only the second time in his nearly 20-year career.
Seven games from the end of the regular season, the Lakers are in 9th place in the West in an Association where two victories separate 7th from 12th place.
In the absence of their point guard, the Lakers are 8-5 and a playoff berth is still within reach.
James’ status was reassessed from ‘forfeit’ to ‘uncertain’ on Saturday night and he finally decided to line up after testing his footing in the warm-up.
Now, “it’s day to day,” the star said. “The most important thing for me is Monday morning. When I wake up tomorrow and get out of bed, we’ll see what happens.”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham hailed the return of his leader, who last month became the leading scorer in NBA history.
LeBron James has missed 27 games in total this season due to various physical issues, the most missed games in a season since joining the league in 2003.
On the field, however, he still displays dazzling form despite his age, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
