Earlier this year LeBron James injured his groin and was helped off the court. The injury status, at that time, seemed clear and LeBron even tweeted out "Dodged a bullet" and added a hashtag "#BackInNoTime". Almost one month has passed and we still don't have clear information on why James is still missing games. So, let's take a look at some possible theories on this matter.
The Lakers simply did not know
Nowadays it is easy for teams not to get informed about their player's health plans because the players have the right to keep it private. It is possible that this is what's happening, in LeBron's case, and the Lakers are simply uninformed. Also, LeBron's relationship with the Lakers is relatively new and the trust is not yet completely built.
Luke Walton said LeBron James “got out there with the guys and did some drills.” He won’t play Thursday. He has not been ruled out yet for Sunday’s game. Walton said James looked good, got up and down the floor, and didn’t take any contact.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 23, 2019
To surprise the competition and keep them on their toes
LeBron James could simply be being secretive about his injury status because he doesn't want the opposing teams to know when he will be back. Maybe he just wants to keep the opposition guessing.
Dodged a bullet! Sheesh. 🙏🏾 to the almighty above! #BackInNoTime
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 26, 2018
Helping the ticket sales
If fans knew long LeBron was going to be absent, that would probably mean that the ticket sales would drop, because a lot of people come to the Lakers games to watch LeBron play.
“That’s us! That’s us!” pic.twitter.com/Vfv8ccQFE6
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 22, 2019
LeBron wants privacy
A long-lasting recovery would mean more media attention and more questions being asked, which would ultimately mean less privacy for LeBron. James has had an extraordinarily injury-free career so maybe he just doesn't want to highlight the severity of this injury.
Merry Christmas to all from the #JamesGang👑👑👑👑👑 pic.twitter.com/eTqLNuvd0m
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 25, 2018
Helping the young players get experience
The Lakers already have five wins and nine losses without James. It is easier for the team to hope that LeBron could be back soon rather than to know that he will probably be out for a long time. Also, James not playing will help the team chemistry and teach them to work more as a unit.
Here's the extended cut of my sitdown w/ LeBron: on family, aging, why he thinks the Lakers' ceiling has changed, his recruiting tactics, a phone call from Kevin Durant - and why he may still play when he's "super-trash" if it means playing with his son 😂 https://t.co/cyAIFmVvPz
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) December 25, 2018
