LeBron James, top player for the Los Angeles Lakers, finished the regular season and the playoffs despite suffering a right foot injury, a fact that has been mostly forgotten over time. He kept working while plainly not being at his best, and others accepted it.

Some worried that LeBron could need surgery to fix the damage to the tendon in his right foot, but the depth of his condition was never revealed. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and LeBron, a man who takes meticulous care of his health, has worked tirelessly to ensure that his foot has fully recovered.

At Lakers Media Day, LeBron discussed his foot issue and the improvement he’s made this summer, giving the impression that he’s totally recovered.

“Obviously a lot of my attention this summer was with my foot and getting that back to pre-injury, pre-Dallas game where I pretty much tore the whole tendon on my right foot,” James explained. Thus, most of this summer has been dedicated to fixing it up and getting it where it needs to be. It’s responding well to my summer training, and I’m eager to see how it develops in the coming weeks before the start of the regular season.

It’s no secret that James considered retiring at the end of the 2016–17 season; here, he explains why he changed his mind and returned for another year.

“I’m not sure. I mostly just talked things over with my loved ones and with myself. Taking fresh motivation from my children. Touring the AAU tournaments with Bryce. Observing how he keeps improving as an individual player. Seeing Bronny back at USC, where he was obviously successful before the event, filled me with immense pride. Motivated by the idea. Then I know I can contribute even more than I already am. Not at that same time, anyhow. Just weary and fatigued, that’s all. My mind was all over the place, and it was difficult to focus on anything. I was only expressing how I felt at the time, but I’m excited to come back for another season and contribute to this great squad. Take this group to victory, I pray. The point is just that.

The Lakers’ chances of making the NBA Finals or winning the title depend heavily on the team’s overall health. They have the personnel and talent to be a top NBA team if everyone stays healthy, but LeBron and Anthony Davis have struggled with durability in recent years.

LeBron and the Lakers appear to be entering the season healthy and in prime physical form, which is crucial. The team’s familiarity and chemistry from the previous year could help them get off to a good start as the new season unfolds.

It’s encouraging that LeBron wants to show where he stands with his injury. There is little question that he spared no effort in his recovery from the injury, and that he is now fully prepared to contribute to the team’s success at training camp.

Throughout the summer, LeBron James and his Lakers colleague Rui Hachimura trained together.

This offseason, LeBron James was preparing to dominate for another season by doing more than simply mending his injury. His colleague Rui Hachimura also spent the majority of the summer at his side.

LeBron and Hachimura have been training together throughout the offseason, as reported by Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham, who joke that LeBron now considers Hachimura to be his “understudy” due to their extensive cooperation.

Encouraging Hachimura to fulfill his full potential would be good for the Lakers in more ways than one.