The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics on the first leg of a four-game road trip, but that wasn’t the worst news of the evening.
LeBron James exited the game on Saturday night, March 8, with a groin injury and did not return. Following the contest, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that James’ injury could impact the Lakers for multiple weeks to come.
“It is too early to project an accurate timetable for how long LeBron James could miss because of his left groin injury, sources told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote. “However one source said the initial thought is that it will sideline James for a matter of weeks, not a matter of days.”
LeBron James Puts Optimistic Spin on Groin Injury Suffered Against Celtics
Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of an NBA game against the Charlotte Hornets.
The news is difficult for a Lakers team that had won eight games in a row before falling to Celtics by 10 points at TD Garden. Los Angeles has contests against the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets before returning to L.A. on March 16 for a five-game home stand.
The Lakers came into Boston as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, though they lost that distinction to the Nuggets upon their loss to the Celtics Saturday.
James, now 40 years old and a 21-time All-Star selection, has been famously resistant to injures over the course of his 22-year career. However, he has dealt with a groin injury before, which he suffered in on Christmas Day in 2018. It ended up sidelining him for 17 games that season.
However, James put an optimistic spin on his groin issue following the contest.
“James downplayed the injury, saying there was ‘not much concern’ and vowing to ‘go day to day’ in treating it,” McMenamin wrote.
Luka Doncic Speak Out on Difficulty of Injury Facing LeBron James
GettyLeBron James (left) and Luka Doncic (right) of the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA game in 2025.
Luka Doncic, who joined James as a member of the Lakers following a deal with the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the NBA’s February 6 trade deadline, spoke about his experience with groin issues following the loss in Boston Saturday night.
“Obviously, to get injured at this time, those [groin] injuries are — I don’t want to say the worst — but they are tough to deal with,” Doncic said, per McMenamin. “So, just take his time. And we got to have as a team a next-man-up mentality.”
The Lakers’ next contest against the Nets is far from a must-win, but it is an important game in the context of the current road trip. The Bucks have been one of the hottest teams in the league following an abysmal 2-8 start, while the Nuggets surpassed the Lakers for the second seed in the West following the loss that Los Angeles suffered in Boston after James’ injury.
The Lakers currently hold a record of 40-22 with 20 games remaining in the regular season.
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