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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
PHOENIX – LeBron James‘ preseason is finished, giving the 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star a week’s rest between games heading into the regular season opener Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James was held out of the Lakers’ game Thursday against the Phoenix Suns and a source familiar with James’ plans confirmed to ESPN that the forward will not play in L.A.’s preseason finale Friday against the Golden State Warriors.
TNT’s Jared Greenberg first reported James’ plans on the Lakers-Suns broadcast.
James is embarking on his 22nd season, tying Vince Carter for the most in league history.
“DNP-old,” Lakers coach JJ Redick joked about James’ reason for rest during his pregame remarks Thursday. ” Taking it out of [Gregg Popovich’s] book.”
Redick was referring to the San Antonio Spurs coach listing a then 36-year-old Tim Duncan as being out for being “old” when his team was in the midst of a three-games-in-four-nights stretch in the big man’s second-to-last season in 2013-14.
James finished the preseason with averages of 12 points on 46.9% shooting (57.1% from 3), 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.0 turnovers in 18.5 minutes over three games. L.A. went 1-2. Redick had originally hoped to use Thursday as an extended dress rehearsal for the Wolves game and allow for players to rest on Friday in San Francisco on the second night of a back-to-back, but those plans changed with James and Rui Hachimura (calf tightness) both out against the Suns.
“I think you have to look at all of the factors and you don’t often get to live in an idealized world in this league and that’s OK,” Redick said. “You don’t get to live out things exactly the way you want in this league very often, and that’s fine. We did have a dress rehearsal — game day shoot around, film session, all of that — today. And we’ll do the same for our pregame. It’s just the first time we’ve done that all preseason.
“So, we’ve still gotten to do some stuff we’ve wanted to do.”