Lakers and Warriors Clash: LeBron James Set to Miss Season Opener

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers are set to open their NBA season against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. However, superstar LeBron James will not play due to a sciatica nerve injury in his right side.

Despite James’ absence, Lakers forward Luka Doncic expressed excitement about the matchup. “Obviously, going against Steph [Curry] is very exciting,” Doncic said after practice on Monday. “It’s going to be tough. I don’t know if it’s a rivalry, but it’s for sure an exciting game.”

In their last encounter on Christmas, both teams showcased their talent with James scoring 31 points and dishing out 10 assists, leading the Lakers to victory, while Curry tallied 38 points. The Lakers-Warriors games have often been intense and competitive.

<p“Lakers against Warriors has been intense,” said Lakers forward Rui Hachimura. “We’ve always played pretty intense games, playoff-like. So this is going to be the same. Even with LeBron out, it’s going to be a great game. Of course, we got to compete and we’re trying to get this win.”

The rivalry between James and Curry peaked from 2015 to 2018, when their teams met in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years. James, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers, secured just one title against Curry’s Warriors. Lakers coach JJ Redick remarked, “The Steph-LeBron rivalry has always been awesome — for whatever teams they’ve been on and for the league itself.”

Doncic also emphasized the importance of maintaining the team’s momentum without James. “There is nothing specifically I have to do extra,” he said. “I just try to win every game. Obviously, it’s going to be hard with LeBron out. But when he’s ready to return, he’s going to help us a lot for sure.”

Supporting Doncic will be teammates Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent. Meanwhile, Curry will lean on longtime teammate Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.

Redick stated that James, who is expected to miss games until November, did some individual work during practice. He also confirmed that backup center Jaxson Hayes was probable to play, along with Bronny James and Maxi Kleber.

As anticipation builds for the matchup, expectations remain high for both teams in the Western Conference, especially with the talent they have on the roster.