The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed that LeBron James will miss the season opener for the 2025-26 NBA season due to sciatica. James won’t be with the team in their first regular-season game, which is against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21. For the first time in his career, the four-time NBA champion won’t play in the first game, breaking his 22-year streak.
A few fans were disappointed to learn about James’ potential absence. Although the Lakers have another star player in Luka Doncic, fans also want to see the 6-foot-9 forward in action. After all, the star forward will be the first player to play 23 seasons in the league.
However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith doesn’t mind that James will likely miss the season opener.
Over the weekend, Smith expressed his thoughts on James’ potential absence on the court.
“I’m not that concerned,” Smith said. “I know it’s the first time he’s going to miss the season opener. I know it’s the first time he’s ever missed an entire preseason, and I get that. And when we talk about the sciatic nerve, just to educate the audience, you talk about nerves causing lower back, hip, and leg pain, of course.
Smith said that the pain LeBron James has been experiencing is something to be taken seriously. After that, he went on a rant about not caring about seeing James on the sidelines.
“So, I don’t give a d**n if he missed November. I don’t care if he misses most of the games before Christmas. I mean, get in enough games to be ready come postseason time, so we don’t see their a** getting bounced out in the first round like Minnesota just did, courtesy of Ant-Man.
“So, if he has to sit out early to be available late, that’s my preference. I’m not worried about October and November. Who cares? We have football.”
Stephen A. Smith had a feud with LeBron James last season
Last season, LeBron James stepped up to confront Stephen A. Smith for his criticism of his son, Bronny. It all started when the analyst commented on the young guard. According to him, the star forward put his son in a position wherein he wasn’t ready for.
James took offense to it and told Smith to keep Bronny out of his criticism. Fans were surprised when the Lakers star approached the media member during a game against the New York Knicks at the Crypto.com Arena.
“I thought it was weak, I thought it was some bulls***,” Smith said. “But, in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”
Stephen A. Smith gives his unfiltered version of the LeBron confrontation 👀 pic.twitter.com/X4TOV3155a
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) March 11, 2025
The ESPN analyst went on to appear as a guest on “Gil’s Arena,” a show hosted by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. During his time on the show, Smith called James’ move weak.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
