After scoring a season-low 18 points in Thursday's home win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat forward LeBron James admitted he hasn't been himself lately due to the fact that he's been dealing with lower back soreness that could cause him to miss some time down the road.
ESPN reports that James admitted he was dealing with back soreness for a "couple of weeks," as was evidenced by the fact that when he wasn't in the game he was lying down and wearing a heat pack around his torso while trying to stretch out his back. James will likely play Saturday when the Heat hosts the Boston Celtics, but he didn't rule out missing time in the near future.
"If I can't get out of bed, I can't show up here," James said per ESPN. "If I can't give enough to help us be successful, then I won't play. That's the one thing I know I will do, but it wasn't bad enough [on Thursday] to the point where I couldn't help."
In addition to his season-low 18 points, James went 6-for-13 shooting from the floor while adding six assists and four turnovers while leading the team with 37 minutes on the floor. James said after the game that it's been a hard thing to deal with.
"It ain't a great feeling, I'll tell you that," James said via ESPN, "especially at night when I'm trying to sleep."
After dropping below .500 for the first time since 2010, Miami is now 4-2 and has yet to lose at home, posting a 3-0 record at American Airlines Arena. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra admitted that James didn't look normal during Thursday's game as he dealt with the injury.
"Obviously he didn't look as spry as he normally does," Spoelstra said after the game, according to ESPN. "But he doesn't want me making excuses for him."
According to ESPN, James said that his back "locked up" after he turned the ball over and dove for a loose ball in the first quarter and that he's been working with the Heat's training staff to try and fix the ailment. Thursday night wasn't the first time that he's worn a heat pack this season.
James has played in all six of the Heat's games this season, and had averaged 25.6 points 8.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 58% from the floor heading into Thursday. King James feels as though he'll be okay in the long run.
"The good thing about it," James said, "is that it's not the first time I've had a back issue so I should be all right."
With Miami looking to earn its third straight championship this season, the team certainly hopes that the reigning Most Valuable Player will in fact be all right.
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