"My lungs feel like a newborn baby" - LeBron James Gives Crisp Health Update After First Lakers Workout Fueling Return Buzz

LeBron James shared a positive update on his rehab. The four-time NBA champions have been dealing with a sciatica injury that has kept him on the sidelines since the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.

James missed a season opener for the first time in his two-decade-long career because of this injury. However, he has been slowly recovering from it, preparing for a grand return to the court. The Lakers star shared an update on his injury while talking to the press after practicing with the Purple and Gold on Monday.

"My lungs feel like a newborn baby. That's the most important thing, I gotta get my lungs back out to a grown man," he said. "My voice is already gone, one day back, barking out calls and assignments and stuff. I have to get my voice working again, so, it'll be a lot of tea and rest tonight." "I feel good, it feels good to be out here with the guys, miss them."

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Later, LeBron James was asked about his chances of playing in the next game. The Lakers superstar did not give an exact return timetable in his answer. He said that he has been taking one step at a time in his rehab process and has to see how his body responds in the next 24 hours or more to name an exact return date.

JJ Redick says LeBron James is 'very adaptable' while discussing his return to the lineup

The Lakers are doing great so far in the 2025-26 NBA season. They are the fourth team in the Western Conference standings with a 10-4 record. They have found great chemistry in their active lineup with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the charge.

The Lakers look like contendors even without LeBron James, so it raises the question of where the four-time NBA champion would fit in the squad upon his return. A reporter asked Reddick about James's integration and adaptability after Monday's practice, and the coach answered the question with praise for one of the greatest players ever.

"I would describe him as very adaptable," Redick said. "Not just in my time or age, he has addapted throughout his career. The system, his teammates, what the game requires, the league has evolved, and he has evolved." "That's why he is still in year 23 and coming off an All-Star year in year 22. I think he has always been able to adapt."

Later, Reddick said that playing with Doncic and Reaves is not foreign to LeBron James. He said that he is not expecting their chemistry to be perfect, but believes that it would be fairly positive.

Edited by Avi Shravan