Lakers star LeBron James expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks with groin strain, per report

The Los Angeles Lakers entered Saturday's marquee battle with the Boston Celtics riding an eight-game winning streak, but they walked away having lost more than just the game. 

With 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter, LeBron James exited the game while the Lakers made progress on their attempted 22-point comeback, but he did not return. LeBron James left Saturday's loss in the fourth quarter and did not return. He was ruled out for the game with a left groin strain, and now, according to ESPN, he is expected to miss at least the next one to two weeks. He will be re-evaluated in 24 hours when the injury calms down.

James said in optimistic tone when asked about his level of concern in his postgame media availability. "Not much concern," he said after the game. "Obviously I'm day-to-day. I'll look at it each day and see if it gets better. We'll take the proper measures to see what we need to do moving forward."

 If James can indeed return in a week or two, that should be treated as a win for the Lakers given how much more destructive a worse strain could have been.

Groin strains can be tricky injuries. James, notably, suffered a tear in his left groin on Christmas of 2018 in a game against the Golden State Warriors which wound up derailing his season, but he said that one felt much worse than the one on Saturday night. In November of 2022, he exited a game against the Los Angeles Clippers with another groin injury, and he ultimately missed five games as he recovered. The severity of the strain will go a long way in determining how much time this injury potentially costs James.