LeBron James missed Wednesday training, reveals Lakers coach JJ Redick

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed that LeBron James missed Wednesday training due to personal reasons. The veteran missed Sunday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers due to soreness in his left foot, which was his first missed match of the season.

“LeBron is not with the team right now,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice. “He’s out for personal reasons, excused absence.”

Redick said he wanted to give a break to all his players and wants to give them the freedom to use it in any way they want.

“Heck, if somebody wants to go spend a couple of nights in Santa Barbara and relax, that’s fine too,” Redick said after the Blazers game. “It’s a quarter way through the season.”

Lakers backup center Christian Koloko said James’ presence was missed but they will look to give their best without the veteran.

“I mean, we know he already knows everything,” Koloko said. “He’s going to come back and he’s still going to be the same. He’s going to give everything on the court.

“We just got to do our part and just get better so that when he comes back, he can just look at us and be like, ‘Oh, yeah, [they] were actually working,’ when he wasn’t there. But we know he’ll come back and just pick up everything. He’s been in the NBA for a long time.”

James is averaging 23 points on 49.5% shooting (35.9% from 3), 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds in the ongoing season. Redick said he is consistently communicating with James about managing his workload.

“In game, he’s asked for a sub a couple of times because he’s gassed,” Redick said. “For us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes and Sunday, being banged up with the foot thing, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.”

The Los Angeles Lakers will next take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.