LeBron James has never been one to shy away from the truth, and in a revealing series of interviews with ESPN this season, the Lakers superstar opened up about an injury that changed the course of his career. "My foot and my ankle ain't been the same since," James admitted, reflecting on the March 2021 incident that still haunts him.
The moment that altered everything came during a routine home game against the Atlanta Hawks. With the Lakers sitting pretty at 28-13 and second in the Western Conference, James collided with Hawks forward Solomon Hill in a play that looked harmless but proved devastating. The then-36-year-old, fresh off leading the league in assists and winning his fourth Finals MVP, was forced to watch from the sidelines for over a month.
What makes this story particularly painful for Lakers fans is the "what if" factor. "I was playing some of the best basketball of my career up until that point," James reflected. The team was conserving energy for a deep playoff run, and everything seemed aligned for a successful title defense. Instead, the injury sent the Lakers into a tailspin. By the time James returned in late April, the team had dropped to fifth place. After just two games back, he missed six more contests, and Los Angeles slid all the way to seventh—where they finished the regular season.
The playoff picture only got worse. Co-superstar Anthony Davis went down with a groin injury in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, and the Lakers were eliminated. "What could have been, for sure," James said, the weight of missed opportunity evident in his voice.
Now, years later, the residual effects remain. "Ever since that injury, I've been fighting uphill to get it back to normal," James admitted. "But it's been a little blah ever since." For a player who has defied age and expectations throughout his legendary career, this admission serves as a stark reminder that even the greatest athletes aren't immune to the long-term consequences of a single, unlucky moment on the court.