By: Aubrey Thompson, Sports Management,  25

 

LeBron James’ foot injury throughout this season has made a tremendous impact on the Lakers organization overall because of his on the court performance being very dominant and him being known as one of the best basketball players in history, with a career average of 29.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game. His skill and experience make him a dominant force on the court, and his presence alone improves the team’s chances of winning. He not only is a very talented athlete but he is also a leader all around on his team, he has the ability to inspire and motivate his teammates. He has a strong work ethic and leads by example, which helps set the tone for the entire team. Let alone he is a key aspect because of his branding and marketing and his reputation is very good and the positive influence he also has in the league which can help with recruiting other players as well. LeBron James was injured in a game this season against Dallas on February 26th  and was suspected to not return until about 3 weeks because of a very serious foot injury known as a right foot tendon, LeBron was seen by two doctors who told him he should get surgery that would have ended his season but then he stated himself “but then I went to see the ‘LeBron James of feet'” who helped him return earlier and has helped him no longer need surgery at this moment and  this injury was crucial to the team but although the Lakers lacked one of their key players they have still managed to hold it down one of the main players stepping up has been Anthony Davis having a very high performance game against the Thunder he had one of the peak-type performances  he scored 37 points on an incredibly efficient 15-of-21 shooting while devouring 15 rebounds and adding one steal and one assist, these are the types of games needed by the him in order for the Lakers to clock in a spot in the Playoffs, Although James was suspected to be out for three weeks he returned early and he did end up playing against the Bulls although the lakers lost this was one of the first games in the season that this team could possibly be seen as championship contenders. When LeBron returned he got a standing ovation as he came into the game against the Bulls, Even though LeBron James returned his foot injury could be still a possible serious injury and he may get surgery over the off season but he has stated to reporters they will not know if he does get surgery throughout off season and he will be perfectly ready to go before the next season begins but as far as right now he doesn’t need it and he is playing and trying to help his team make it into the playoffs and go as far as they can. LeBron is one of the most outstanding players in the league but he is only getting older and not younger and injuries are becoming more of a trend with him unfortunately, hoping he can stay healthy and finish out an amazing career of his. LeBron’s injury didn’t only affect the Lakers Organization it also affects the fans who follow LeBron and may consider him to be their favorite player, along with people who are betting on games, this injury plays a huge role in the media and could even possibly affect the amount of fans that attend the Lakers games when he was out vs now, Him playing could also help gain more money to the organization not just help the organization be successful. The media all were discussing different perspectives of the doctors James seen and what different ways he responded to the controversy thrown around about his injury and what may come after the season.