LOS ANGELES — The only question was when.
The Los Angeles Lakers announced Saturday that LeBron James will be shut down for the remainder of the season, a move that officially caps the franchise’s dismal and disappointing 2018-19 campaign.
With nothing left to play for except lottery ping pong balls, the 34-year-old James will not suit up for L.A.’s final six games. The all-star forward appeared in a career-low 55 games this season, missing more than a month due to a groin strain suffered against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. The shutdown decision does not come as a major surprise, given that James and the Lakers first broached the subject of managing his minutes nearly three weeks ago.