LeBron James hints at impending return with ominous Instagram warning
By Ian Levy
The Lakers have been struggling without LeBron James but his cryptic Instagram comments imply he could be back sooner than you think.
LeBron James has been out with an ankle sprain for the past ten games and the Lakers have, predictably, slid a bit. They’ve lost six of those 10 games and have fallen to fifth in the Western Conference. If they can’t keep their heads above water, they’re at risk of slipping into the range of having to make their way through the play-in tournament just to make their way into the playoffs proper.
The Lakers haven’t just been missing LeBron. Andre Drummond signed with the team and made it 14 minutes before suffering a toe injury that’s kept him out ever since. Anthony Davis has also missed 24 straight games as he recovers from an Achilles injury. But there is reason to think that both Drummond and Davis could be back soon, and sooner to be expected. And now LeBron has taken to Instagram to issue an ominous warning to the rest of the league.
What did LeBron James have to say on Instagram about a potential return?
There’s no firm date in there but it sure sounds like he’s planning on getting back on the floor soon, along with the pent-up aggression that’s come from watching his team struggle without him. And using a picture of both him and Davis in the post could be a message that Davis’ return is imminent and they’ll be back on the floor together soon.
The Lakers’ title odds have predictably taken a hit as well but they have to feel great about their chances if they can get healthy. During the 517 minutes they played together before Davis went down, the Lakers were outscoring opponents by an average of 14.6 points per 100 possessions — a mark that’s right in line with what they managed during the playoffs last year and nearly twice their 2019-20 regular-season mark.