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On Saturday night, while answering a mostly unrelated question about the Lakers working on integrating Anthony Davis back into their lineup, starting point guard Dennis Schröder added even more fuel to the growing inferno of whispers that LeBron James will return soon.
“I heard Bron is close,” Schröder said.
It was just the latest sign that the purple and gold’s most important reinforcement is on the way, coming right on the heels of Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reporting on Saturday that James could return as soon as this week after missing more than five weeks with a high ankle sprain.
The last official thing we had heard from the team prior to Woj’s report and Dr. Dennis’ diagnosis was that James had been cleared for light on-court work, and he could be seen on the Spectrum SportsNet broadcast of Lakers vs. Mavericks on Saturday pantomiming various pivots and jumpshots on the bench during a timeout, clearly itching to get back into the action as the Lakers look to avoid a play-in spot.
And on Monday, as the Lakers waited for their matchup with the Orlando Magic, James tweeted about going to a local high school to get some of that work in, and posted a video on Instagram of himself running in the Mavericks’ arena:
Appreciate the love @FHS_GoPats Orlando for allowing me to use the facilities. ✊ #GoPats
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 26, 2021
A few weeks ago, James predicted that a storm is coming. Now, with just a dozen of games left for the Lakers in the regular season, it would appear it is almost here. With just two games left on their current road trip and a three-game homestand to follow, all signs are pointing towards James making his return in front of Lakers fans soon.
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