Instead of punching Father Time once again with his superior athleticism, strength, and decision making, LeBron James has spent the beginning of his 23 NBA season sitting on an elevated chair along the bench.

Practically, James has sat there for added comfort while dealing with sciatica on his right side. But the striking image also symbolizes uncertainty over when and if the Los Angeles Lakers star will exert his on-court dominance again.

“It is uncharted territory,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said earlier this season. “I don’t think there’s a proven way to handle someone who has this much mileage and this many minutes. He’s been asked to do so many things on the court.”

After logging 30,583 minutes through 22 regular seasons and 12,062 minutes through 18 playoff stints, James missed a s

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