LeBron James is officially taking a short trip down to the G League.
As expected, the Lakers assigned James to their affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, on Wednesday so he could take part in a full-speed practice, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
It marks the first G League assignment of his career, not surprising even though he’s been in the NBA since 2003.
The move is purely procedural, meant to let the 40-year-old superstar go through 5-on-5 work as he continues ramping up from a bout with right-side sciatica that’s delayed his season debut.
Charania previously reported that James and the Lakers were targeting mid-November for his return, and that timeline still appears to be on track.
In the meantime, Los Angeles hasn’t exactly struggled without him. Behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have opened the season strong at 8-3, keeping pace near the top of the Western Conference while waiting for their leader to rejoin the lineup.
If all goes well with his G League session, James could be back on an NBA court sooner rather than later — in plenty of time to give the Lakers another push as the season picks up speed.
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