LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during the Lakers‘ series-ending loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James underwent an MRI on Thursday that revealed the extent of the damage.
The injury occurred in a collision with Donte DiVincenzo midway through the fourth quarter of Game 5 (Twitter video link from Wolves Lead). James collapsed to the court in pain and briefly checked out to have the knee examined by the team’s trainer before returning to the game. DiVincenzo was whistled for a foul on the play for a moving screen.
The injury typically involves a recovery timeline of three to five weeks, the source told McMenamin, so James likely wouldn’t have been able to return until the Western Conference Finals or the NBA Finals if L.A. hadn’t been eliminated. It would have ended his NBA record streak of appearing in 292 straight playoff games, McMenamin adds.
James continued to produce at a remarkable level in his 22nd NBA season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games and putting himself in position to earn an All-NBA spot for a 21st consecutive season.
The four-time MVP holds a $52.6MM player option for 2025/26, but wasn’t ready to discuss his future when speaking to reporters following Wednesday’s game. The expectation is that he’ll play at least one more season.