LeBron James absence vs. Suns gets brutal JJ Redick explanation

Los Angeles Lakers supper star Lebron James Will once again be the oldest player in the NBA this season. Their new head coach, JJ Reddickmade some light-hearted jokes about LeBron’s age during Thursday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

JJ Redick announces that LeBron James will sit out Thursday’s game For comfort and quipped about the age of his star player. “DNP – old. …Take it out of Pop’s book,” Redick commented, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

At this stage of his career, any player should be able to cite age as a valid reason for sitting out a game.

Los Angeles Lakers have deactivated LeBron James and other starters for the preseason

During Tuesday’s TNT game broadcast, Jared Greenberg reported that the Lakers have decided to rest LeBron for the entire preseason.

James has played limited minutes in three preseason games, so it’s not surprising he’ll sit out Thursday’s game as he aims to rest his body ahead of the long season ahead.

The Lakers faced a challenging preseason schedule that included back-to-back games and a total of three games in four nights, including a matchup against the Warriors in Las Vegas on Tuesday. To make matters worse, all of their games are away from home, as the Crypto.com Arena is currently undergoing renovations.

It was almost expected that LeBron and other starters would miss both games in this final stretch of the preseason. The only surprise is whether the starters won’t get another chance to play together unless non-LeBron and Rui Hachimura starters participate in both ends of the back-to-back, which seems unlikely.

Rui Hachimura is also listed on the injury report Due to shin stiffness, but the issue is not considered serious and appears to be more of a precautionary measure.

Reaves missed some time in the preseason but returned without any problems, so that can be attributed to the Lakers’ cautious approach. Concerns will only arise if these issues persist into the regular season.

James continues to challenge concepts of aging

Despite turning 40 in December, James continues to defy Father Time. Last year, in his 21st season, he played 72 games, his highest total since the 2017–18 season, when he completed all 82 games.

James is also returning from a tough summer with Team USA, where he guided the Americans gold medal in paris olympicsFollowing a season in which he played 71 regular-season games and five postseason contests in 2023–24.

He averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game, leading the Lakers to a 47–35 record and a playoff berth, where they were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

While it is uncertain how long James will play before retiring, he looks set for another productive season as he looks to build on his impressive career.

Securing another title would be a huge boost The case of LeBron James in the GOAT debateBut the challenge still remains serious. The Western Conference is loaded with talent, including the defending champions, the Dallas Mavericks, a rising Minnesota Timberwolves team, and the rising Oklahoma City Thunder who are ready to make their mark this season.