Forward LeBron James has confirmed he will be good to go when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Dallas Mavericks in a Christmas Day fixture on Friday despite picking up an ankle injury in the season opener.
James Ready To Go For Lakers vs. Dallas
James was held out for the final 7:51 of the fourth quarter in the season-opening loss to the LA Clippers on Tuesday night after rolling his left ankle but said he plans on playing against the Mavericks.
In fact, James, who has a perfect attendance on Christmas Day, says he will be “ready to go.”
“I’ll be ready to go tomorrow on Christmas Day,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I’ve never missed a Christmas Day game, and I don’t plan on missing one tomorrow.”
James and the Lakers lost 116-109 to the LA Clippers on Tuesday night and he’s looking forward to playing against Dallas at Staples Center.
“People have opened their gifts. Everyone is excited. It’s a day of giving for a lot of us,” James said. “And then being at Staples Center, I’ve gotten the opportunity to play here on Christmas as a Laker and also as an opponent. It’s just a beautiful feeling being here.”
He added: “But it’s not the same without the Laker faithful, without the fans, without celebrity row, without the bright lights. It’s just a totally different feeling.
“It’s just strictly basketball, which is fine. But our game is entertainment as well. And when you’re out there, you hope to entertain some people live as well. But we have to do it. Hopefully we know we’re making a mark while they’re watching the game.”
James played 28 minutes before leaving the game on Tuesday. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting with, five rebounds and five assists.
Game time for Friday is slated for 8:00 p.m. ET and ESPN/ABC will provide the live television coverage. WatchESPN.com and the ESPN App will provide the live streaming. Using an Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, fans can stream the game by downloading the ESPN App on their devices.
