Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (left), guard Bronny James (center) and guard Luka Doncic watch from the bench in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025.

It’s almost time for LeBron James to make his debut in the 2025-26 season.

The star Los Angeles Lakers forward has been dealing with a sciatic nerve issue that has sidelined him through the first 10 games of the season. Yet, James is making progress and could be poised to make his return soon.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the Lakers announced that James had been cleared for contact basketball activity.

The Lakers are set to play the Charlotte Hornets Monday, Nov. 10 and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Here’s everything you need to know about LeBron James’ injury heading into Monday night’s game against the Hornets:

Is LeBron James playing tonight?

No. James will miss his 11th game of the season, and is likely to miss at least the two games following that. When the team announced that James had been cleared for contact basketball activity, the Lakers also said that physicians would reevaluate James in one to two weeks.

Although James has been going through his on-court ramp up, he will need to work his way into game shape.

The Lakers, presumably, aren’t in that much of a rush, considering that they have started the season excellently, sitting at 7-3 and in fourth place in the Western Conference.

“I think we’re probably somewhere right around that timeline to hopefully get him back in the lineup,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Wednesday, Oct. 29 in Minnesota. “But obviously, this thing has to continue to progress with all of his return-to-play protocols. So we don’t have like a target date. It’s just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he’s kind of checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November.”

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a pain caused by some level of irritation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The sciatic nerve is located in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg. It begins from the lower part of the spinal cord and extends through the buttocks, back of the thigh and down to the foot.

As a result, the area of pain can range anywhere along the back of the leg.

What does this sciatica injury mean for LeBron James?

James has been one of the more dependable and available players, despite his age.

Still, he will turn 41 in late December and will likely need to manage his usage and body as the season progresses. Known for being a player who is exacting and meticulous about his body and his health, James will likely ensure he is fully healthy before making his return to the court. The Lakers are willing to give him the time and space to make sure that happens.

Given the timeline that Redick alluded to, James should miss no more than three-to-six games.

James has maintained that he wants to compete for NBA championships, so the nerve issue should not be a significant concern, provided the rest and recovery heal the injury. Given the length of the NBA regular season and playoffs, some missed time is to be expected for a player James’ age.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is LeBron James playing vs. Hornets? Lakers star sidelined by injury

Reporting by Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect