LeBron James may be returning to the court soon. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the Lakers star “progressing to live 5-on-5 reps in practice” will be the “next step” toward his season debut. James has yet to play in the 2025-26 NBA season as he deals with sciatica in his lower back and right side.

After suffering a three-game losing streak on the road to the Heat, Bucks, and Bulls — the Knicks bounced back with two dominant home victories versus the Bulls and Wizards by 12 and 17 points. New York has five straight home games on deck as apart of this seven-game home stand.

The Los Angeles Lakers have started the 2025-26 season red-hot, winning six-of-eight and thriving on the historic play of Luka Dončić, who is averaging 41.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.