Alarms sounded off within the Los Angeles Lakers organization during the All-Star Game.
LeBron James suffered a hand injury in the first half of the matchup and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, so some thought it could be serious.
However, the 38-year-old veteran was quick to smooth the waters, letting everybody know that he was fine, and he left the game as a precautionary move and nothing more.
"I'll be fine. I don't think it's too much to worry about."
LeBron on the hand injury he suffered during the All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/gAaTN3DL2x
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 20, 2023
James had scored 13 points with one rebound and four assists in 14 minutes before leaving the game, and his team eventually fell 184 to 175 — his first loss as an All-Star team captain since the new format started.
Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t going to jeopardize the remainder of the season for a non-competitive and meaningless All-Star Game, especially considering how the Lakers have fared this season.
They’re currently 2.5 games outside of the play-in tournament and cannot afford to have their best player missing time.
The Lakers revamped their roster in the trade deadline and have more than enough talent to make a deep playoff run, even if they make the playoffs as the eighth seed.
But you already know that Anthony Davis may be due to miss — even more — time with injuries at some point, and it might take a while before all the new pieces are settled, and the team develops some rapport.
So, props to James for prioritizing what actually matters and just skipping the remainder of the show to be ready for the final, most crucial stretch of the season.
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