ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin wrote an article talking about James and the upcoming 2025-26 season.

According to previous reports, James will miss at least 3 to 4 weeks due to right sciatica and will miss several games at the beginning of the new season. This is the first time in his career that he will miss the season opener.

In seven seasons with the Lakers, James missed 124 games due to injury, while he only missed 71 games in the first 15 seasons of his career.