Fansided

LeBron James to miss remainder of preseason with injury

By Kyle Franzoni

Oct 7, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) works under the basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) works under the basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are not taking any chances and will rest LeBron James and his back for the remainder of the preseason.

There may not be any individual player in the NBA as important as LeBron James is to the Cleveland Cavaliers. As such, the Cavs are not ready to take any chances with their money-maker and have given the superstar an anti-inflammatory shot in his ailing back, effectively ending his preseason, according to Cleveland.com.

The now 30-year-old James has a history of back issues, including having a similar shot administered during the 2014-15 season. That injury held him out of games for nearly two weeks last season while the anti-inflammatory meds worked on relieving the stress.

Knowing the timeline of recovery from last January’s shot, Cleveland felt it was best to administer the shot now and have James up and running for the team’s season opener on October 27th. That gives James about 11 days of rest before he takes the court against the Chicago Bulls.

James, who missed 13 games last season after a similar shot, still managed to average 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists during the regular season. Additionally, he was deadlier during the postseason, guiding the Cavs to the NBA Finals by averaging 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists during the playoffs.

Of course, LeBron James had a much bigger load to carry during that time, with both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving out for much of the postseason with injuries of their own. With both Love and Irving also expected to miss an early portion of the regular season, having James at full health is imperative for the Cavs as they try to get back to the NBA Finals in 2015-16.

(h/t Cleveland.com)

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