Why is Lebron James not playing in the NBA and what is sciatica?

EXPLAINER

NBA’s leading all-time scorer is missing the start of the new season due to sciatica. When will the Lakers star return to the court?

Basketball superstar LeBron James has missed the start of an NBA season for the first time in his storied 23-year professional career.

The reason for his absence is a medical condition that affects athletes and non-athletes alike called sciatica.

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The condition has a wide range of outcomes – from a few weeks’ rest and conservative treatment to permanent damage that can lead to life-altering physical challenges – leading basketball fans and pundits to speculate on what LeBron’s ultimate prognosis will be.

Here is all to know about sciatica and when we can likely expect the 40-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward to be back on the court:

Why is LeBron James missing the NBA season start?

The Lakers announced on October 9 that James was dealing with a sciatica-related issue on his right side and added that he would miss the first few weeks of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

The team noted that James would be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

When healthy, LeBron James, left, and his All-Star teammate Luka Doncic form one of the NBA’s most potent 1-2 player duos [File: Jae C Hong/AP]

What is sciatica?

Sciatica occurs as a result of compression or irritation to the sciatic nerve, the longest and thickest nerve in the human body.

The sciatic nerve starts in the lower back and travels down through the buttocks, the back of each leg and terminates in the foot.

This nerve condition is primarily caused by impairments – sometimes benign, sometimes severe – in the lower back, such as herniated or prolapsed disks in the lower spine.

James might also be suffering from a lesser-known medical condition called piriformis syndrome, which occurs when the piriformis muscle in the buttock compresses or irritates the nearby sciatic nerve, causing pain that radiates down the leg. Piriformis syndrome is not the same as sciatica, but it is a condition that can cause sciatica-like symptoms and is far more common in athletes.

When will James return to the court?

At the time of the injury announcement, the Lakers stated that James would be re-evaluated by medical staff in early November.

Based on that re-evaluation timeline, the All-Star forward will miss a minimum of six to 10 NBA games – but it could turn out to be a lot more if the sciatica requires further medical treatment, whether it be conservative therapy or surgery.

Even if the sciatica has abated by November, James would still need several weeks to ramp up his training protocol before he is ready to play an NBA match, possibly delaying his on-court return until December or even 2026.

What is the long-term impact on James’s NBA career?

James might recover in a few weeks and never suffer a sciatica recurrence.

It is not uncommon for patients to experience recurrent instances of sciatica throughout their lives, which might lead to surgical intervention at some point if the nerve compression becomes severe.

In the worst-case scenario, James might not recover from sciatica and could suffer ongoing debilitating nerve pain in his lower back, buttocks and leg that necessitates surgical intervention, possibly ending his basketball career.

Historically, a few NBA players have undertaken sciatic nerve release surgeries, and some have sufficiently recovered and returned to the court – although none of them were as old as James, who turns 41 in December.

James, left, is currently undergoing conservative physical therapy for his sciatica condition and will be re-evaluated by doctors in early November [File: Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images via AFP]