Slightly more than 24 hours after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Lakers star LeBron James has been cleared to return, the league announced.
Upon entering the protocol, players must either wait 10 days or receive two negative tests with 24 hours to return. It was the latter for James.
NBA statement on LeBron James: pic.twitter.com/amAumGxLO9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 2, 2021
James, 36, has already missed more than half the early season, including two games with a sore ankle and several more with an abdominal strain. He was also suspended for one game for his dustup with Pistons center/forward Isaiah Stewart.
The Lakers (12-11) have struggled both with and without James, though his absences have made it difficult for a mostly new roster to get into any kind of rhythm. As of now, the Lakers boast the oldest roster in NBA history with an average age of 30.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James has been tested “rigorously” since Saturday’s triple overtime home loss to the Kings. In that time, eight tests have come back negative, McMenamin reported.
The last one was a false positive, per McMenamin, making James available to return Friday against the LA rival Clippers.
James is in his 19th season and averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and career-low 5.2 rebounds.
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