# Breaking News: LeBron James Returns to Full Practice, Upgraded to Questionable for Lakers’ Clash with Jazz – Season Debut Looms
**By Alex Rivera, NBA Correspondent**
*Sportsnet.ca*
*December 3, 2025 – 2:15 PM ET*
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – In a development that’s sending shockwaves through the NBA world, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James participated in a full 5-on-5 practice session for the first time this season on Monday, marking a significant milestone in his recovery from a nagging sciatica injury. The 40-year-old icon, who has been sidelined since training camp, was officially upgraded to “questionable” for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena, fueling speculation that his highly anticipated season debut could come as early as tomorrow.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick, speaking to a throng of reporters after the session, couldn’t hide his optimism. “LeBron looked sharp out there today,” Redick said, his voice carrying the weight of a team that’s clawed its way to a surprising 12-2 start without its talismanic leader. “He meshed right in with the guys – running the floor, calling plays, even barking out assignments like he never left. It’s TBD on tomorrow, but the fact that he’s questionable? That’s huge. We’re monitoring how his body responds over the next 24 hours, but he’s cleared every hurdle so far.”
James, who turns 41 in less than two months, has been battling sciatica – a painful nerve condition radiating from his lower back down the right side of his body – that forced him to miss the entire preseason and the first 14 games of the 2025-26 campaign. This isn’t his first rodeo with the ailment; he revealed it also plagued him during the summer of 2023, turning what should have been a routine offseason into a grueling rehab marathon. “It’s been challenging, man,” James admitted post-practice, wiping sweat from his brow in the Lakers’ El Segundo facility. “Feels like your body’s betraying you – sharp pains shooting down your leg, stiffness that hits you first thing in the morning. But I’m past the worst of it now. Just gotta get these lungs back to grown-man status. One day of full practice and my voice is already shot from calling out screens.”
The upgrade to questionable status came late Monday afternoon via the Lakers’ official injury report, a subtle but seismic shift from the “out” designation that’s been a fixture since October. For context, “questionable” typically signals a player is 50-50 to suit up, often with minutes restrictions or load management in play. Teammates like Austin Reaves, who’s been torching nets at 28.3 points per game during James’ absence, couldn’t contain their excitement. “Bron’s energy? Electric,” Reaves said with a grin. “He elevated the whole practice – Luka [Dončić] and I were feeding off him. If he plays tomorrow, the Jazz are in trouble.”
The Lakers, under new coach Redick – a former sharpshooter turned podcaster-turned-bench boss – have defied preseason expectations without James. Bolstered by Dončić’s MVP-caliber play following his max extension and a breakout campaign from Reaves, L.A. sits atop the Western Conference, boasting the league’s top offensive rating at 118.4 points per 100 possessions. Yet, the void left by James’ absence has been palpable in crunch time, where his playoff-tested poise has been sorely missed. A return now could catapult the purple and gold into true contender status, especially with Gabe Vincent also upgraded to questionable after nursing a left ankle sprain.
James’ path back has been methodical, bordering on meticulous. Cleared for on-court activity earlier this month, he decamped to the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, during L.A.’s recent five-game road swing. There, he ramped up with light drills and, eventually, full 5-on-5 scrimmages – all under the watchful eye of the team’s medical staff. “We weren’t rushing it,” James explained. “Sciatica doesn’t play; one wrong move and you’re back to square one. But joining the G League guys? That was key. Got my legs under me without the bright lights.”
If James does lace ’em up against Utah, it’ll mark his entry into uncharted NBA territory: his 23rd season, eclipsing the longevity records of legends like Vince Carter and Kevin Garnett. At 40 (soon 41), he’s defying Father Time in ways that border on the superhuman. Last spring’s playoffs saw him drag a battered Lakers squad to the Western Conference semifinals before an MCL sprain in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves sidelined him for the decisive losses. That injury, coupled with the sciatica flare-up, shattered his usual offseason regimen – no beach volleyball in the Bahamas, no high-altitude training camps. Instead, it was ice baths, acupuncture, and endless core-strengthening sessions.
The Jazz, meanwhile, represent a soft landing – or at least they should. Utah enters Tuesday’s tilt at 6-8, mired in mediocrity despite Lauri Markkanen’s All-Star flashes (24.2 PPG) and Walker Kessler’s rim protection. The Jazz have won three of their last four but boast the league’s 25th-ranked defense, allowing 115.8 points per game. A James-led Lakers attack, with Dončić’s sleight-of-hand passing and Reaves’ microwave scoring, could turn Crypto.com Arena into a rout. “We’ve got a blueprint that works,” Redick noted. “LeBron slots in seamlessly – maybe even makes us better by forcing defenses to account for him.”
But it’s not all champagne and caviar. James was candid about the rust: “My wind’s like a newborn’s right now. Conditioning takes time – you can’t microwave that.” Redick echoed the sentiment, hinting at a phased return. “Expect load management early. We’re talking 20-25 minutes tops, focused on high-impact plays. No need to press; the team’s rolling.” And with a cushy schedule ahead – no back-to-backs until next week – the Lakers can afford to ease their king back into the fray.
This saga underscores a broader narrative in James’ twilight years: the delicate dance between immortality and mortality. Entering his Lakers tenure in 2018 as a 33-year-old savior, he’s since delivered a championship (2020 bubble), an In-Season Tournament trophy, and perennial playoff berths. Yet injuries have chipped away – over 150 games missed in eight L.A. seasons, per team records. At 41, the miles (more than 70,000 regular-season minutes) show, but so does the mastery. “I can fit in with anybody,” James quipped when pressed on meshing with a youth movement led by 25-year-old Dončić. “That’s not ego; that’s experience.”
Fan reaction has been electric. Crypto.com Arena’s ticket resale prices spiked 40% overnight, with secondary markets listing courtside seats north of $2,500. Social media buzzed with memes – from Photoshopped images of James emerging from a cryogenic chamber to heartfelt tributes hailing “The Chosen One’s” resilience. Lakers Nation, scarred by last spring’s playoff flameout, is hungry for hope. “Bron back? We’re title favorites again,” one purple-blooded pundit tweeted.
As the clock ticks toward tip-off, all eyes remain on James. Will he suit up, channeling that familiar freight-train intensity? Or will caution prevail, preserving the big body for bigger battles? Either way, this upgrade isn’t just a status change; it’s a statement. LeBron James, the NBA’s eternal enigma, is knocking on the door. And when he steps through, the league – and perhaps history itself – will shift on its axis.
For now, the Lakers practice in quiet anticipation, the air thick with possibility. Redick summed it up best: “This isn’t just about one guy. It’s about what he unlocks in all of us.” Tomorrow night, against the backdrop of a sold-out Crypto.com Arena, we might just see that unlock in real time.
*Word count: 1,028*
*Follow Alex Rivera on X @AlexRiveraNBA for live updates from El Segundo. Sportsnet.ca will have full coverage of Lakers vs. Jazz, tipping off at 7:30 PM ET.*
Leave a Reply