National Basketball Association

LeBron James upgraded to available, will come off bench for Lakers vs. Bulls

Updated Mar. 26, 2023 3:36 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

LeBron James has been upgraded to available and will come off the bench in the Los Angeles Lakers' Sunday afternoon matchup against the Chicago Bulls. 

James tested his right foot in pregame warmups to determine whether he would play, and after a successful warmup, decided to suit up.

James injured the foot during L.A.'s win over Dallas on Feb. 26, collapsing to the ground after landing awkwardly on it during a drive. He was overheard telling teammates that he'd heard "a pop" in his foot immediately after the play.

James missed 13 games over the month-long span, while the Lakers went 8-5 during his absence. The team currently sits eighth in the Western Conference at 37-37 but is tied with Minnesota and New Orleans, and just a game ahead of 11th-place Dallas. With each game carrying the utmost importance, James' return comes at a crucial time.

The Lakers have eight games remaining on their schedule before the play-in tournament begins.

Read more:

• Luka Dončić shares frustration, Kyrie Irving dismisses boos after Mavs' latest loss 
• Lakers announce that LeBron has begun on-court activity; James chimes in on reports 
• 2023 NBA championship odds: Updated title futures for the home stretch
• UConn dominant again as Dan Hurley promised, rolls into Final Four
• Could trading for DeAndre Hopkins get the Bills to the Super Bowl?
• After Cowboys' flurry of moves, do the Eagles still rule the NFC East?
• MLB 26-and-under power rankings: Which teams have the best young players?
• College football rankings: Our top 25, spring football edition

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

LeBron James

National Basketball Association

Los Angeles Lakers

NBA - Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers - 03/26/2023