“Savannah will have his a** couch surfing”

LeBron James couldn’t finish the LA Lakers’ game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday due to a nagging foot injury. He left with about three minutes remaining as the Kings went on to carve a 130-120 win at Crypto.com Arena. James winced in pain late in the game, forcing Darvin Ham to call a timeout to take out the franchise cornerstone.

Unsurprisingly, the four-time MVP couldn’t suit up for his team on Friday in a marquee showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was questionable leading into the matchup but was eventually downgraded to out. “King James” spent most of the night cheering on his teammates on the sidelines.

Besides supporting his teammates, the four-time champ also had a brief chat with LA Lakers governor Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis.

The sight of Buss and Rambis seemingly fawning over James had fans reacting on X (formerly Twitter):

“Savannah Will have His as* couch surfing”

LeBron James noticeably kept his hands to himself throughout the clip. If Savannah James sees this, she should be proud her husband had perfect decorum. Buss and Rambis must also be quite close to the superstar and his wife for them to be this affectionate to him.

Like last season, the Lakers are looking like a play-in-bound team. The win over the Bucks tonight improved their record to 35-20, which is good for ninth in the Western Conference. They are chasing the Phoenix Suns (37-26) for the sixth spot and guaranteed playoff berth. Anything is possible with roughly 17 games to go but LA has had a roller-coaster ride for most of the year.

LeBron James said leading into the All-Star break that he and his teammates will regroup and recharge before trying to finish the regular season strong. Since action resumed, the Lakers are only 5-4, a stretch that included wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers and OKC Thunder. They also struggled to beat the San Antonio Spurs and needed overtime to beat the Washington Wizards.

Through their ups and downs, some fans have blasted Lakers coach Darvin Ham for the team’s inconsistency. A handful has been calling for his replacement since after the NBA In-Season Tournament. Jeanie Buss, however, has publicly supported the coach who led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals.

LeBron James’ health is the biggest issue facing the LA Lakers

After exiting early against the Sacramento Kings, LeBron James told reporters that he expects to be “alright.” The severity of his left foot injury is something that the LA Lakers or James have been clear about. How that foot will hold up in a grueling playoff series will likely determine LA’s championship aspirations.

James’ teammates, led by D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis, stepped up in the win over the Milwaukee Bucks. They managed to hold off their opponents even with James only watching from the sidelines. It will be even tougher for them to eliminate any team in the West if the 20x All-Star is compromised or unable to play.

LA may survive the play-in tournament but the challenge only gets tougher in the first round of the playoffs. If LA punches a ticket as the eighth seed, they could be looking at the Minnesota Timberwolves and the OKC Thunder as potential first-round opponents. Beating any of the two in a seven-game series without LeBron James is almost impossible.