"LBJ", who was making his return after four weeks of absence, explained in the post-match conference that he had torn a tendon. However, he chose not to have surgery, following the advice of the "LeBron James of the feet".
At 38 years old, James scored 19 points (8 rebounds) against Chicago, in only his second game off the bench, despite a career of nearly 20 years.
Seven games from the end of the regular season, the Lakers are in 9th place in the West, synonymous with a playoff for the playoffs, in a Conference where two wins separate the 7th from the 12th.
In the absence of their master to play, the Lakers have achieved a series of 8 wins for 5 losses and the direct qualifying places are still within their reach.
James' status had been reassessed from "forfeit" to "uncertain" on Saturday night and he finally decided to line up after testing his foot in the warm-up.
Now, "it's day-to-day," the star said. "The most important thing for me is Monday morning. When I wake up tomorrow and get out of bed, we'll see what happens."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham hailed the return of his leader, who last month became the leading scorer in NBA history.
LeBron James has missed 27 games overall this season due to various physical glitches, the most missed games in a season since joining the league in 2003.
On the court, however, he is still in dazzling form despite his age, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
© 2023 AFP