Redick: LeBron feeling effects of 'playing a lot of minutes'

Time may finally be catching up with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

The 39-year-old missed his first game of the season Sunday because of foot soreness, and head coach JJ Redick said the win against the Portland Trail Blazers was a good opportunity for James to get some rest.

This might become a recurring theme as the season progresses. Redick said Wednesday that James is feeling the "accumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes," according to NBA reporter Mark Medina.

"In game, he's asked for a sub a couple of times because he's gassed," said Redick. "I think for us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games."

He added, "The communication has to be there," as the Lakers manage James' health for the rest of the campaign.

James is in Year 22 and putting up 23 points, eight rebounds, and 9.1 assists while still logging 35 minutes a night.

He recently hit a slight slump, but he bounced back well Dec. 4 by scoring 29 against the Miami Heat and logging a triple-double (39 points, 10 boards, and 11 assists) Dec. 6 versus the Atlanta Hawks.

The top scorer in NBA history has been absent from the Lakers' practice facility all week, but Redick described it as an “excused absence.”

James is day-to-day according to Redick, and it's still undetermined if he will play Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.