LeBron James’ high ankle sprain and possible return timeline, explained

Lakers superstar LeBron James left Saturday’s matinee game vs the Atlanta Hawks after picking up an ankle injury while fighting for a loose ball. He was able to play on for two possessions, but then promptly called a timeout and headed to the locker room.

LeBron underwent both X-rays and an MRI, and was diagnosed with a “high ankle sprain,” with the team setting a nonspecific “indefinite” timeline for his return. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday morning that the Lakers internally expect James “to miss several weeks” with his current injury.

In the following video, I explained what a high ankle sprain is, six indicators which may clue us in on how severe James’ injury specifically is, potential return timeline scenarios, and lastly, James’ overall prognosis and odds of returning at a high level.

Hopefully that answered all of your questions, but if you have any more, let me know in the comments, or reach out to me on Twitter over at @3cbPerformance.

Dr. Rajpal Brar has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 1.5 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel.