Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James looks like he’s turning a corner physically as he has started to resemble more of himself as the 2025-26 season unfolds.

With Austin Reaves out, James has gone back to being a primary scorer and playmaker and he’s rewarding the Lakers with his best basketball of the year.

While LeBron has been rounding into form, Los Angeles still has to find ways to manage the 41-year-old superstar. With that in mind, James was ruled out for the Lakers’ primetime matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to his foot and sciatica issues.

Los Angeles played San Antonio on the second end of a back-to-back and the 41-year-old declared that his status for those situations will be played by ear the rest of the year, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“Every back-to-back, for the rest of the season, is TBD,” James said. “I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank [that answer] right now.”

Head coach JJ Redick added that the team is being mindful with James’ workload considering the upcoming schedule:

“A lot of it is based on his injuries and just the management of those,” Redick said. “His foot typically after a game is sore. So that’s the primary thing. I talked to him today in the meal room. We were hoping that he gets to the point where he can play in back-to-backs with his body. But this stretch and this month, it’s going to be tough to say that.

“We hope he’s available, but a lot of it is how he wakes up the next morning.”

James hasn’t been ruled out entirely of playing back-to-backs this season, but with how many injuries he’s managing it’ll be difficult for him and Los Angeles to predict when he’ll be available. LeBron is well-known for his ability to keep his body in pristine basketball shape, so it’s fair to trust his judgment as the season progresses.

For now, Los Angeles can survive without James in back-to-back games as they currently reside in the top of the Western Conference standings. However, the purple and gold are a losing streak away from tumbling down and making it even more difficult to sit LeBron in a potentially tight playoff race.

LeBron James emphasizes Lakers must bend their games to Luka Doncic

While James still demands the basketball, it’s no question that the Lakers run through Luka Doncic. James acknowledged the shift in power as he emphasized the team needs to bend its game to Doncic.

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