Lakers, Utah Jazz and LeBron James
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LeBron James Salutes 'Point God' Chris Paul
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The star's return was also a chance for free-agent acquisition Jake LaRavia to finally get a chance to play with the NBA's all-time scoring leader.
The Lakers went 10-4 without James, who has not played this season after being diagnosed with sciatic nerve irritation on his right side.
LeBron James is at risk for missing out on an All-NBA team spot for the first time in 22 years. After sitting out the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season amid his recovery from right-side sciatica, James can only miss three more games before hitting the 65-game minimum the NBA requires for end-of-season honors.