His lower back feeling better, his body refreshed, LeBron James declared himself ready for his 13th NBA season.
It’s go time.
After sitting out nearly two weeks since undergoing an anti-inflammatory injection, James was able to fully participate in Cleveland’s practice for the second straight day and said he’ll play Tuesday in the season opener at Chicago.
“I feel good,” James said after Monday’s workout at Cleveland Clinic Court. “I’m ready to go. I’ll be active tomorrow.”
James had been limited in practice since receiving the shot Oct. 13, the second injection he has gotten in 10 months.
The Cavaliers will begin the season missing All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who is still recovering from surgery on a broken kneecap and may be weeks away from his debut. Cleveland will welcome back forward Kevin Love, who missed most of the playoffs after dislocating his left shoulder in the first round against Boston.
Timberwolves: A grieving Minnesota team reconvened at practice, the loss of organizational architect and coach Flip Saunders still weighing heavily on their hearts. Saunders died Sunday at the age of 60 because of complications from Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The Timberwolves are scheduled to open the season on Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers. General manager Milt Newton, who has assumed primary responsibility for personnel decisions, said the team was having discussions with the league about whether to play the game, but he believed it would go on as scheduled.
“We told the players that you cannot circumvent the grieving process,” Newton said. “Each player has their own particular way of grieving and dealing with that. But at the same time, if you know Flip and about Flip, the best way for us to honor him is to compete, play hard and leave it on the floor.”
Lakers: Metta World Peace, 35, earned a spot on Los Angeles’ roster Monday, punctuating his comeback attempt after 19 months out of the league.
Los Angeles cut former Oakland High star Jabari Brown to trim its roster to 15 players ahead of Wednesday’s season opener against Minnesota.
“It’s probably the most difficult cut that I’ve ever had to make,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “He’s a great kid and works his tail off. He’s gotten so much better from last year to this year.”
Hawks: Former Warrior Kent Bazemore has completed the journey from undrafted D-leaguer to NBA starter.
Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed what everyone expected: Bazemore will be in the lineup when the Hawks host the Detroit Pistons to open the regular season Tuesday night.
Bazemore, a 6-foot-5 swingman who spent almost two years with the Warriors starting in 2012, started throughout the preseason at the small forward spot that belonged to DeMarre Carroll the last two years. When Carroll signed a $60 million free-agent deal with Toronto, Bazemore seized his chance to join a lineup that includes four All-Stars — Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver — on a team that won 60 games last season.
“Obviously, I’ve got some big shoes to fill,” Bazemore said.
