"Ton of spine rotation for first time": Sports Doctor points to LeBron James' golf adventure resulting in sciatica

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The LA Lakers announced on Thursday that superstar forward LeBron James is suffering from sciatica on his right side and is set to miss the season’s opening night as he will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

This will mark the first time in James’ 23-season career that he will not be suiting up on opening night. The most optimistic timeline for his return has him missing at least the first six of the Lakers’ 2025-26 campaign.

Speaking on an ESPN segment on Friday, Shams Charania reported that James has been dealing with sciatica since late July.

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A sports doctor on X, @BrianSuttererMD, reacted to the news, pointing out that this is the same timeline James started playing golf during the offseason.

“Right around the time he started playing a ton of golf?” he wrote.

The doctor doubled down on his opinion, citing the rigorous spine rotation of golf swings as a probable cause for James’ injury:

“Doesn’t have to be related, but it’s at least a question to ask when someone gets hurt around the time they start doing a ton of spine rotation for the first time."

@jkylemann Doesn’t have to be related but it’s at least a question to ask when someone gets hurt around the time they start doing a ton of spine rotation for the first time.

Heading into his 23rd season, James is coming off a solid campaign in 2024-25. He is still producing at a high level at the age of 40, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in 70 appearances for the LA Lakers.

LeBron James is being sued by a Lakers fan over the Hennessy ad campaign

In addition to dealing with sciatica, LeBron James has also landed in legal trouble due to his recent ad campaign with Hennesy. On Monday, James posted a short clip on his Instagram account, teasing that he would be announcing a "second decision" soon.

Shortly after the post went live, fans speculated that James could be announcing his retirement. Subsequently, tickets for the Lakers' games for the upcoming season shot up substantially.

One fan paid a significant sum to buy tickets for the Lakers-Cavaliers matchup on March 31, 2026. After James' second decision turned out to be nothing more than an advertisement, the same fan sued the NBA legend, accusing him of "fraud, deception and misrepresentation."

The fan is seeking $865.66 after taking the matter to a small claims court. LeBron James has yet to publicly comment on the situation.

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About the author

Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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