Countdown to James' return! Confirmed to be assigned to the G League today: training with the South Bay Lakers

The South Bay Lakers are hosting their most high-profile player ever today, with almost 41-year-old LeBron James training with the team. According to Lakers coach Darvin Ham on November 11th Beijing time, James will join the G League and train with the South Bay Lakers today.

Five days ago, reporter Shams disclosed on a program that James would skip the Lakers’ road trip and stay in Los Angeles to recover. At that time, Shams mentioned the possibility of James being assigned to the G League to train with the South Bay Lakers. Ham recently acknowledged this possibility but said no official decision had been made yet. Now, James has finally joined the G League, which is a positive sign indicating his return is imminent. It is reported he could make his comeback as soon as November 19th in the home game against the Jazz.

Before today’s game against the Hornets, the Lakers held a 7-3 record, ranking 4th in the Western Conference, surpassing outside expectations. Some media had predicted the Lakers’ performance would suffer badly during James’ absence, but that has not been the case, with strong performances from Doncic and Reeves. Additionally, the team’s depth has been tested and proven solid. This has led some insiders, including Pierce, to suggest the Lakers consider trading James to acquire more pieces for the roster.

However, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has long stated that the team still hopes James will finish his career with the Lakers. For LeBron, this is also a contract year; how he performs after his return and whether he will become the team’s third option remain key points to watch.