"The only signs of LeBron James inside the locker room an hour before the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason opener tipped off in Palm Desert, California, last week were his gold No. 23 uniform hanging in his cubby and a triangular foam cushion placed on the seat beneath it. The jersey would not be needed on this night. The cushion would."
"The 40-year-old James didn't play in the exhibition game after being limited to light shooting through the first three days of training camp because of nerve irritation in his glute, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick. The cushion, though, worked a full night, as his seat in the locker room and during the game at the end of the bench."
"When James eventually emerged in the locker room, wearing a T-shirt with the "Forever King" tagline from his latest Nike ad campaign printed on the front, he was asked by a reporter if he was ready to begin an unprecedented 23rd season. Before James could answer, Lakers guard Austin Reaves chimed in. "You got another five seasons in you," he said. James' eyes widened, a smile spreading across his face."
LeBron James did not play in the Lakers' preseason opener after being limited in training camp because of nerve irritation in his glute. A foam cushion marked his locker cubby and seat while younger teammates populated the rosters, underscoring a generational gap. At 40, James fielded questions about beginning a 23rd season and exchanged lighthearted banter with teammate Austin Reaves about extending his career. James is the only player to reach a 23rd NBA season and holds the league's all-time regular-season scoring record, alongside other postseason scoring milestones.
Read at ESPN.com
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