When will LeBron James return from his abdominal strain?

LeBron James originally suffered his “rectus abdominis strain” (aka an abdominal strain) when the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets on Nov. 2. James left the game in the fourth quarter to get attended to by the training staff in the tunnel leading to the locker room, but eventually was able to return and lead his team to victory with 14 points in the final period.

That was the last time we’ve seen James on the floor, however, as he’s missed the last eight games, and is reportedly “50-50” for the team’s matchup with the Celtics on Friday.

The average missed time in the NBA with this specific injury is approximately four games, according to Jeff Stotts, who tracks injuries for the website In Street Clothes.

Our own Dr. Rajpal Brar — who has a doctorate in physical therapy and provides medical analysis for Silver Screen and Roll — summarized the injury as follows:

The rectus abdominis is a core muscle that runs down the front of the stomach and to the pelvis area. This would explain why he was stretching in the manner he was in the tunnel and why he had ice on that lower region. Considering he was able to return to play effectively and was initially listed as questionable for this game, this is likely a Grade 1 strain and he’ll be assessed day to day for soreness, discomfort, functionality — similar to the ankle.

Here is his video analysis:

At this page, we will be updating and tracking updates on James’ status as he looks to make his eventual return to the floor for the Lakers. So bookmark it, stay tuned and check out the links below to stay up to date on the latest reports, rumors, official statements from the team and more regarding LeBron’s return-to-play timeline.

This story will update as it continues to develop. For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.