Basketball player LeBron James is expected to miss up to four weeks and will not be available at the start of the new NBA season because of sciatic nerve pain, the Los Angeles Lakers announced on Friday.
The 40-year-old James signed a new contract with the Lakers in June and is expected to become the first basketball player to play in 23 seasons in the NBA.
The sciatic nerve causes pain in the lower back, which radiates down to the legs.
James, the best scorer in NBA history, has never missed a season opener in his 22-year career.
He has 1562 regular season appearances and is just 50 games away from breaking the record held by former Boston Celtics star Robert Parish.
The four-time NBA champion averaged 24,4 points, 8,2 assists and 7,8 rebounds per game last season.
