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Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Was ‘Masking’ Discomfort Groin Strain Was Still Causing Him When He Returned Vs. Clippers

When the Los Angeles Lakers were officially eliminated from playoff contention, there were questions about LeBron James’ playing time with just 10 games remaining.

As James continued playing and the Lakers have won three out of their last four games, he was officially shut down for the final six games of the 2018-19 NBA season.

Considering how the 34-year-old missed 17 consecutive games due to a groin strain and 21 games overall, one of the few benefits is he will have two extra months to fully recover for his 17th season.

Although James returned against the Los Angeles Clippers after six weeks, it appears he was never completely healthy, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

While James played in 21 of the Lakers’ 25 games since initially returning from his groin injury Jan.