LeBron's 23rd Season Started With Something He'd Never Faced Before, and It Changed Everything

LeBron James has played professional basketball his entire adult life. He's won championships, MVP awards, and cemented himself as one of the greatest to ever touch a court. But when his historic 23rd season rolled around, he ran into something he'd never experienced before: sitting out the start of a season.

During a summer workout, James developed sciatica that affected his lower back and right side of his body. The injury was serious enough to sideline him through Lakers training camp and into the 2025-26 season. He missed the first 14 games before finally making his season debut on November 18 in Salt Lake City.

"Never in my life, since I started playing the game of basketball, have I ever not started the season," James said on November 17, the day before his return. "It's been a mind test, but I'm built for it."

An Expiring Contract and an Unprecedented Timeline

The injury wasn't the only unusual circumstance surrounding the start of James' season. In June, he picked up his $52.6 million player option rather than negotiate a new deal. That decision meant something that hadn't happened since he joined the Lakers in 2018: he was playing on an expiring contract for the first time as a Laker.

With that backdrop, ESPN approached James with a unique idea. On November 18, the day of his season debut at the Utah Jazz's Delta Center, they proposed chronicling his campaign through a series of 23 questions in one-on-one interviews throughout the year. The aim was to capture an unprecedented moment in his career, one shaped by injury, longevity questions, and a contract situation that added another layer to what would be one of his most unusual seasons.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.