LeBron James is reportedly managing chronic arthritis in his left foot as he prepares for his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers and a record 24th NBA campaign.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports that the 41-year-old receives specific daily treatment on the foot as part of an extensive routine designed to prepare his body for practice and games.
James arrives at Philadelphia's training complex early in the morning to work with longtime athletic trainer Mike Mancias, with stretching, activation and other treatment forming part of his preparation.
His left foot receives particular attention because of the chronic arthritis, while his lower back is also being managed after sciatica caused him to miss the opening month of last season.
There has been no announcement that the foot condition will prevent James from playing.
In fact, James participated in Philadelphia's open scrimmage on Saturday and showed no obvious physical limitations, throwing down an alley-oop dunk, hitting from three-point range and taking part alongside his new teammates.
James said after the scrimmage that he expected to feature in Philadelphia's preseason opener against the New York Knicks, while also acknowledging the importance of not overdoing his workload during preseason.
The four-time NBA champion is preparing to become the first player in league history to compete in a 24th NBA season.
How Philadelphia manages James' workload will now be an important storyline throughout the season as the 76ers attempt to balance his availability with their championship ambitions.
The important thing here is separating a chronic condition from a new injury that has suddenly put LeBron James' season in doubt.
That's not what has happened.
James is practising, participating in scrimmages and preparing to play. But we now know considerably more about what goes into keeping him on the court at 41 years old.
Chronic arthritis in the foot isn't something that simply disappears between games. It's something that has to be managed, and Philadelphia has inherited the extraordinary maintenance programme that comes with a player entering an unprecedented 24th NBA season.
The timing also makes this particularly interesting for the Sixers.
They haven't brought LeBron to Philadelphia simply for the spectacle of Year 24. They've assembled a roster designed to compete for a championship, and his availability when the games become most important matters far more than squeezing every possible regular-season appearance out of him.
Saturday's scrimmage offered the reassuring side of the story. James was running, dunking, shooting and creating without any obvious physical limitation.
The challenge is making sure that remains the case months from now.
LEAN EDGE VERDICT
LeBron James isn't being ruled out and there is no new timetable for an absence.
But chronic arthritis in his left foot adds important context to how carefully Philadelphia will need to manage him throughout his 24th NBA season.
At 41, the question isn't whether LeBron can still produce moments that look remarkably familiar. He showed again this weekend that he can.
The bigger challenge for Philadelphia is keeping that version of LeBron available when the season matters most.
