James is expected to return to the Bulls! Completed sprint run + finishing training Experts explain the rehabilitation process in detail

On March 21, Beijing time, according to Mark Medina, Lakers star James completed another pregame training, including some sprint runs and finishing exercises under the basket. Redick had said this week that James' current form is a "daily watch". In his latest interview, he expressed his hope that James and Hachimura will be back for Sunday's game against the Bulls.

James left the game on March 9 with a groin strain against the Celtics and has been sidelined since. At first, he planned to complete the road trip with the team, but eventually returned to Los Angeles early to continue his recovery process.

Earlier this week, Shams reported that James was expected to be out for about a week, and the team had no intention of making a hasty comeback. So, what exactly was his recovery like? Medical expert Rajpal Brar reports on James' recovery –

In the initial stage, we can call it the first stage, which is the recovery period. This stage requires the muscles to relax and the pain to dissipate. This is usually achieved through rest (to reduce muscle load) and a number of interventions, including massage therapy and other assistive devices. This will vary depending on the athlete's personal preference and the specific circumstances of the injury.

In addition, James is known to focus on rest, such as making sure he gets more than 12 hours of sleep a day, which will be even more important during the recovery period from injury. Once the pain is reduced or within an acceptable range, a gradual increase in load can be initiated. We refer to this phase as the second phase, the early load phase.

LeBron's personal trainer, Mancias, may develop a gentle, step-by-step stretching regimen that loads the injured area while doing targeted strengthening exercises to help restore muscle strength.

If recovery is good, the next step is to further increase the load through stretching, strength training and physical training, and start basketball-related activities. We refer to this as the third stage, the medium-load phase. For example, before the game against the Phoenix Suns, LeBron participated in individual basketball practice.

If this phase goes well, he will move on to the fourth phase, the advanced load phase, to start a more intense activity. This will gradually transition to more intense basketball activities, such as shooting exercises with confrontation, changing directions, jumping in simulated basketball scenarios, etc.

This final phase usually starts with one-on-one practice and eventually transitions to five-on-five matchups, and generally involves full team practice. However, this hasn't always been the case for James, as he has a clear understanding of his recovery progress and has very limited training time late in the season, so there will be some flexibility.

After completing the objectives of each of the above stages, the next step is to return to the game, which is the fifth stage. At first, his playing time will be limited, and then gradually increase until he returns to his normal playing time. In the initial stages, depending on how well he adapts to the playing time of the game, he may not be scheduled to play back-to-back matches.

The general principle of the entire rehabilitation process is a gradual and gradual increase in load, both physically and psychologically. In 2022, he suffered a similar injury, missing about two weeks at the time, and this time it looks like he will have about the same recovery time. The good news is that the injury didn't bother him again for the rest of the season, which bodes well for his recovery and prospects this time around.