LeBron James has entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and missed the Lakers’ game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
According to NBA rules, vaccinated players, like James, enter the protocols either after a positive test result or after inconclusive test results. According to the protocols, a vaccinated player can return if he tests negative for the virus on consecutive tests 24 hours apart or if it’s been 10 days without symptoms.
The Lakers play six times in the next two weeks, including their first matchup with the Clippers this season on Friday at Staples Center.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said before they played the Kings the team learned that James would be headed for the protocols early Tuesday morning. After getting the results, Vogel said “we arranged for him to get transportation back to L.A. safely.”
“Obviously it’s a huge loss. It’s disappointing,” Vogel said. “We just want the best for him right now. That’s where our thoughts are. And we have a next-man-up mindset.”
After losing to the Kings in triple overtime last Friday night at Staples Center, the Lakers claimed they came here with a get-back-at-Sacramento mindset.
The Lakers got their message across by playing tremendous defense in the second half and letting that carry them to a 117-92 win over the Kings at Golden1 Center.
The Lakers outscored the Kings 67-33 in the second half to win their second straight game.
When the Lakers got down by 14 early in the third quarter, they finally come with the right approach.
They outscored the Kings 37-15 in the third to open an 87-74 lead entering the fourth.
Even more impressive, the Lakers outscored the Kings 35-8 after getting down 66-52 early in the third.
Lakers forward Anthony Davis shoots over Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu during the first quarter in Sacramento on Tuesday.
(Randall Benton / Associated Press)
James said on media day in September that he had received the COVID-19 vaccination after being “very skeptical” but decided to do so after doing his own research.
“I know that I was very skeptical about it all,” James said of the vaccines before the season. “But after doing my research and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited, not only for me but for my family and friends. And that’s why I decided to do it.”
Before the season started, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said that all of their players would be “deemed fully vaccinated” at the start of the regular season against Golden State.
The NBA and players’ union have recommended booster shots for all players and coaches. NBA doctors sent a memo to teams with results of leaguewide antibody testing from the preseason.
Vogel said he and Pelinka and the team’s medical staff have had that discussion with the players “just to encourage and recommend the booster shot and the values that come with it.”
James has played in 11 of the Lakers’ 23 games, missing one game because of a suspension, two games because of right ankle soreness, eight because of an abdominal strain and now this.
No one knows how long James will be out of action this time.
“Every year teams have main guys out for stretches,” Vogel said. “You have to win as many games as you can when that’s the case and when they are all healthy you have to have hopefully enough time for them to build their cohesion that’s necessary to win big time and that hasn’t been the case for us thus far this season. But there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be.”
The Lakers entered the game against the Kings with a 4-7 record without James this season.