On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers received terrible news with star forward LeBron James testing positive for COVID-19. The four-time NBA champion has now entered the league's health and safety protocols and will miss multiple games as a result.
James to miss multiple games due to COVID-19
James' positive diagnosis could not have come at a worse time for the Lakers, who are sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with a 12-11 record. The NBA mandates that a player who has a confirmed positive test for COVID-19 should isolate away from his team for a minimum of 10 days without any physical activity. The said player must then undergo a cardiac screening and reconditioning before being cleared to return to the court.
James also could clear protocol by submitting two negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests within 24 hours. The good news for the Lakers is that James is vaccinated. According to teammate Anthony Davis, James is feeling good, and that he is asymptomatic. His return to the lineup is still up in the air, though.
🤔Something is REAL 🐠 🐟 🎣 🐟🐠 going on
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 1, 2021
James was not happy with his positive test, tweeting "something is REAL fishy" one day after being placed on the league's health and safety protocols. It has been a rough start to the season for James, who has already missed 12 of the Lakers' 23 games this season.
James was plagued with injuries early on, suffering ankle and abdominal problems that forced him to be sidelined for 11 games. He then was given a one-game suspension by the NBA for his reckless hit on Pistons center Isaiah Stewart.
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LeBron-less Lakers rally past Kings
James already missed Tuesday's game against the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers got off to a horrible start in that contest and trailed the Kings by 14 points early in the third quarter. But there is no quit with the Lakers as they outscored Sacramento by 27 points in the final 9:15 of the third quarter to head into the fourth with an 87-74 lead.
It was smooth sailing for the Lakers in the payoff period as they cruised to a 117-92 win. Anthony Davis scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Lakers, who won their second consecutive game. Russell Westbrook scored 23 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out six assists while Malik Monk provided the spark off the bench, scoring 22 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the field, including 6 of 10 from deep.
It was a significant result for the Lakers, who showed they could win even without James. They have struggled to rack up victories this season with James sidelined, posting a woeful 5-7 record when he is out. The Lakers are 7-4, though, with James on the floor. James is still one of the best players in the league, averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in his 19th season in the NBA.
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