LeBron James decided to take a two-week hiatus before the regular season starts this year.
In a move similar to the January shutdown he went through last season, LeBron James will miss the remainder of the preseason after getting an injection in his back.
From Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
LeBron James received an injection in his back this week, according to multiple sources, and is unlikely to play again in the preseason. James received a similar anti-inflammatory shot in January when he was shut down for two weeks and responded so well that the plan was always for him to have another one at some point, one league source said. By doing it now, James won’t miss any significant time.
The Cavs open the regular season at the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 27.
James has dealt with back problems the last couple of years, although no one seems to think it’s a significant issue at present. His back was a little sore when he arrived at Quicken Loans Arena for Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game he wasn’t supposed to play in anyway, and he was feeling ill. So the team gave him the shot and sent him home.
Cavs head coach David Blatt said James' status will be addressed again next week.
“We’ll see what happens at the beginning of next week,” Blatt said. “I certainly don’t expect him to play both games and I don’t know if he’ll even play one. We’ll see.”
James put himself through three-a-day workouts in September to prepare for the season, but finding the ample rest will be important for the teams championship aspirations.
By Glenn Erby
