LeBron James injured his right ankle during the second quarter of the Lakers’ game against the Atlanta Hawks and will not return.
James knocked over an empty chair, a silent Staples Center somehow even quieter as he limped his way back to the Lakers’ locker room Saturday afternoon.
James was injured early in the second quarter when Atlanta forward Solomon Hill crashed into James’ right side while chasing a loose ball, the star’s ankle bending inward.
As he was back in the locker room, team doctors, Anthony Davis and Rob Pelinka were among those to head there.
James has injured his ankles before — he’s been on the team’s injury report with a sore left ankle since the season opener. On Saturday afternoon, after he went to the court in agony, grabbing at his lower right leg, James did what he always does. He got up, bent over, re-laced his sneakers and kept playing.
After the timeout, he stayed in the game and splashed a corner three on his first touch. But as he came back up the floor court, he motioned to the bench. The Lakers called timeout. And their hopes of repeating as champions limped off the floor and toward the locker room, the chair slamming to the ground on the way.
James left the game had 10 points and four assists.
