‘Giving LeBron James 8 Days off Every 15 Days’: Licensed Doctor Urges Lakers to See the Error of Their Ways

The Los Angeles Lakers have operated cautiously with LeBron James’ health in recent weeks, notably allowing the King the luxury of a hiatus during the team’s extended schedule throughout the NBA Cup. However, a licensed medical professional declared that the Lakers should be resting the soon-to-be 40-year-old even more after witnessing the four-time NBA Champion’s rejuvenated return.

Dr. Evan Jeffries, a physical therapist who frequently evaluates professional athletes’ health and injuries, explained that the LA side should be giving LeBron “eight days off every 15 games” since the league’s all-time leading scorer is soon entering the uncharted territories of 40.

“If I’m the Lakers moving forward I’m giving LeBron 8 days off every 15 games“

In addition, Dr. Jeffries posted a clip of LBJ taking on multiple players at once at the offensive end and also showing up on the defensive end of the floor. He argued that if LeBron looks this good at 40 after a brief period of rest, then the Lakers have no option but to rest him more often.

If I’m the Lakers moving forward I’m giving LeBron 8 days off every 15 games

-He’s about to be 40
-uncharted territory

If he’s looking like this after a break you’ll have no choice pic.twitter.com/3t5Jn5Xpf2

— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) December 22, 2024

James missed a total of eight days for the Lakers, absent in both practice sessions and games, but it’s apparent how refreshed he has looked over his last three games. Since his return, the Lakers are 3-0, with a win over the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and a pair of victories in Sacramento.

After posting two solid near-triple doubles in his first two games back, LeBron proved he could still turn it up another notch when needed, with a 32-point performance in a close 103-99 win at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday night.

The 22-year veteran did play the first 23 games of the campaign before his unexpected break, but it’s clear the extra downtime during the NBA’s grueling 82-game schedule has aided his performance on both sides of the ball.

Currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 16-12 record, the Lakers are in a position to give the legend a bit of rest every now and then, especially against lesser teams. It’s possible that the doctor’s advice could prove beneficial for a Lakers team whose only priority is winning a championship.

LeBron’s midseason break activities remain a mystery

The 20-time All-Star has undoubtedly looked rejuvenated throughout the short sample size since his return, but no one knows where James was during the break. Half-hearted rumors have circulated that he has resorted to using PEDs to maintain himself during the twilight of his career, while others joked that he travelled to Germany due to their cutting-edge medical treatments.

The Germany rumor has especially caught some steam, with even former NBA player Theo Pinson mentioning the possibility on his podcast. “My man [LeBron] tired. Second thing is, he was in Germany. [laughs] He had to take a little rest, he had to go,” he said on the Run Your Race podcast.

However, without any substantial evidence, all these speculations are just rumors.