Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was performing at his peak this season and earned the title of Western Conference Player of the Month for February before an unfortunate groin strain sidelined him.

The injury came at a bad time, as the Lakers were trying to establish chemistry and cohesion following their major trade for Luka Doncic. Instead, they found themselves without James and other key players during one of the toughest stretches of their schedule.

After missing six games, James returned to action on Saturday night, contributing 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals on 7-of-16 shooting in 31 minutes, though the Lakers suffered a blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls.

James appeared to be feeling the effects of his time off the court, and he Acknowledged as much after the game.

“A little rusty, a little rusty, but I was happy to get back out there,” James admitted.

What matters most is that James is now healthy and prepared for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. The Lakers still have championship hopes, but they will need all their key players, particularly James, to be at full strength to have a shot at a deep postseason run.

However, when asked if the groin issue was completely behind him, James was hesitant to say so.

“I just take it day by day. I can’t worry about what’s gonna happen in the future,” he said. “But I got through today. I’m obviously gonna get some work on it tomorrow. Hopefully, a little bit on the plane. It’s a long flight to Orlando. And then, once we get to Orlando, we get ready for Monday. So I hope it’s behind me, but I don’t wanna look too far ahead.”

One potential positive from James’ injury was that he missed a particularly difficult stretch of the season and could now have fresh legs for the final push. However, at 40 years old, it’s hard to expect him to be completely healthy at this stage of the season. Still, given the way James takes care of his body, he will undoubtedly do whatever it takes to stay available for his team.

What did the Lakers show LeBron James while he was out?

During his six-game absence, James took on the role of both a coach and a spectator, cheering for his teammates from the sidelines. When asked what he learned about the team in that time, he expressed his satisfaction with their performance.

“I mean, I don’t know if it was something they showed me or didn’t show me. I already know what this team is capable of,” James said. “No matter who’s been in the lineup, who’s been out of the lineup, we’ve been able to sustain our effort and try to continue to play the right way, both offensively and defensively.”

“So it was great to stay even through the adversity, even through some of the injuries and the schedule, how it represented itself, we were still able to win ball games.”