It turns out that Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James isn’t indestructible after all. In L.A.’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday afternoon, James was forced to leave the game and head back to the locker room after twisting his ankle during the second quarter. While trying to secure a loose ball, Hawks forward Solomon Hill fell on top of James’ right ankle and James fell to the floor in pain.
James didn’t sub out of the game right away. In fact, he stayed in the contest and knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner before he checked out and headed back to the locker room. The Lakers star is scheduled to have an MRI done to determine the severity of the injury, according to ESPN. You can see the events unfold below:
Shortly after James exited the contest it was announced that he would not return to the game. The initial diagnosis is a right ankle injury. Obviously, the Lakers will be hoping that the injury isn’t too serious, as they are already without All-Star forward Anthony Davis due to a calf strain in his right leg.
Even if the injury isn’t super serious there’s still a chance that James could miss some more action, as the Lakers will obviously want to be exceedingly careful with their best player. The most important thing for L.A. is that James is healthy for postseason play. The Lakers will likely provide an update on James’ status for their upcoming string of games — against the Suns on Sunday, Pelicans on Tuesday, and 76ers on Thursday — in the near future.