LeBron James Hand Injury Update: Lakers Star Injures Finger in 2023 NBA All Star Game

LeBron James Hand Injury Update: Lakers Star Injures Finger in 2023 NBA All Star Game

Joel Reyes
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:26 PM
  • LeBron James picked up a hand injury in the second quarter of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game
  • He missed the second half after catching his fingers on the rim during aa block attempt
  • James tasted defeat for the first time as captain of Team LeBron in the All-Star Game

LeBron James suffered a double black eye on Sunday night.

Not only did he lose his first All-Star Game as captain of Team LeBron, but he also picked up an injury in the showpiece event.

The NBA announced James’ exit during half-time of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.

LeBron James, NBA, All-Star, 2023 NBA All-Star Game, LeBron James Injury, Team LeBron, Team Giannis
LeBron James plays in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Images: Kyle Terada/ Tim Nwachukwu.
Source: Getty Images

The league said that the 19-time All-Star would not return to the showpiece event after suffering a contusion to his right hand in the first half, per Yahoo! Sports.

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Block attempt caused LeBron's injury

James picked up the injury early in the second quarter. He caught his fingers on the rim while trying to block a layup by Pascal Siakam.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer launched a 3-point attempt on the game's next possession and he remained on the court for an additional six minutes before departing.

Lakers need a healthy James

That set off alarm bells for the Lakers faithful, who need James more than ever after the All-Star break for their team's playoff push. The Lakers are currently in 13th place in the Western Conference, sporting a lowly 27-32 record.

The good news for the team's fans is that their star appeared to have avoided serious injury. He confirmed that in an interview after the game.

James said he 'tried to get a chase-down block and got his finger caught in the rim' in the process. He made it clear that the injury was nothing serious.

The injury denied James a shot at winning another MVP award in the All-Star Game. He got off to a strong start, scoring 13 points in 14 minutes of action in the first half. James shot 6 of 11 from the field before calling it a night.

Tatum sets All-Star scoring record

Sports Brief recently reported on Jayson Tatum making history in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The Boston Celtics star set a new record by racking up 55 points.

He shot 22 of 31 from the field in this year’s edition, including 10 of 18 from the 3-point area. Tatum also grabbed ten rebounds and dished out six assists in the victory.

Tatum's shooting brilliance was rewarded with him winning the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award after Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.
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