LeBron James has entered the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols and will miss Tuesday's game against the Sacramento Kings.

All members of the Lakers have previously been reported to be vaccinated. 

James has been limited to just 11 games this season due to an abdominal injury. 

Trevor Ariza has yet to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers in his second go-around with the team, but he's inching towards a return. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said that Ariza is "getting closer", but is "still a ways away" from playing in games.

Ariza underwent surgery on his right ankle shortly before training camp began. His timeline for re-evaluation was set at eight weeks. Vogel said Ariza remains on track with that timeline and the team hopes to "have more firm update" after the re-evaluation.

Ariza was projected to be in an integral part of Los Angeles being able to play lineups that featured Anthony Davis at center. Ariza's ability to play as a stretch four, while guarding on the perimeter, intrigued the Lakers when building their roster. In Ariza's absence, LA has mostly started Davis at the four, on the rare occasions that the team has been mostly healthy.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is feeling the pressure from his team's poor start. Following a triple-overtime loss at the Sacramento King, the Lakers have dropped to 10-11 on the season.

That disappointing record has some in the organization wondering if there should be a change on the sidelines. The Lakers have an experienced head coach in David Fizdale on the bench, should they decide to fire Vogel.

Vogel led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title while in the bubble. Since then, injuries have impacted the last two seasons. The 2020-21 season saw both LeBron James and Anthony Davis miss considerable time, including in the postseason.

This year has started out with both stars battling injury and illness. In addition, the Lakers have struggled to incorporate Russell Westbrook into the offense alongside James and Davis.

LeBron James has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture on the playing court and warned for using profane language during media availability in response to league imposed discipline.

The incident occurred with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 124-116 overtime win against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 24 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

In a wide-ranging interview where he discussed his love of roses, snakes and giraffes, Dwight Howard was also candid about basketball too. Howard said he was upset about not being selected to the NBA's Top-75 team.

"I think that what I have done in my career, there’s no way it cannot be recognized. It was upsetting, at first. But, I didn’t take it too seriously. I felt before that I wasn’t gonna be on it because it felt like (the NBA) was trying to phase me out. People think I’m trying to blame the NBA for certain things, but I look at how certain things have happened in my career and I know some of these things are not on me. I’ve watched how I rarely get talked about when they mention (the Lakers). It’s like I’m an afterthought. Like damn," Howard said.

Howard was consistently called out as the primary snub of those not selected. For his career, Howard won Defensive Player of the Year three consecutive times. He also made eight All-NBA teams, including five first-team nods. Howard has also made eight All-Star teams.

LeBron James was taking a nap when the NBA announced he would be suspended for the first time in his 19-year career. James struck Isaiah Stewart in the face during Sunday's game, which led to an extended altercation with Stewart escalating the situation as he discovered his face was bloodied. 

"Rob [Pelinka] called me. I missed his call," James told ESPN of the Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager dialing in the bad news. "As soon as when I checked my phone and it was a missed call, I was like, 'I know I'm suspended.'

"I mean, it's some bulls---. But whatever."

James had to miss his only trip to Madison Square Garden this season.

"I was devastated," James told ESPN. "It's my favorite place in the world to play, so I was looking forward to it. But it is what it is."

James detailed that explanation after the win over Indiana.

"There was a boxout on the free throw line. His elbow got kind of high, it got me -- if you look, if you watch the film -- it got me off balanced a little bit, and his elbow lifted my arm, and I basically tried to swim move, swim down on him, on his arm," James said. "And when I swung down on his arm, he got off balance and the left side of my hand grazed his face. And I knew right away. So, I knew right away I had caught some part of his head. So, I went over to apologize to him, and obviously, you guys saw what happened after that. But definitely accidental."

James also said his case was made stronger by how Russell Westbrook got a bloody lip in Tuesday's game when hit by Quentin Grimes, and James was hit in the face by Domantas Sabonis, which required a bandage on his eyelid. 

Avery Bradley had some choice words for his Los Angeles Lakers team after their latest loss. Bradley suggested his team needs to change their mindset and approach to games.

“We can’t just turn it off and on. We’re not good enough for that yet," Bradley said.

The Lakers never led in their road loss to the New York Knicks. Los Angeles also trailed by as many as 25 points. The Lakers rallied to make the game close by couldn't get over the hump.

Bradley said the Lakers "ran out of energy in the fourth quarter" and that they "have to better" moving forward.

Isaiah Stewart has been suspended two games without pay for escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing LeBron James in an unsportsmanlike manner, and James has been suspended one game without pay for recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation.

Stewart was assessed two technical fouls, James was assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2, and both players were ejected. The incident began with a loose ball foul on Stewart with 9:18 remaining in the third quarter of the Pistons’ 121-116 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 21 at Little Caesars Arena.

Stewart will serve his suspensions Tuesday, Nov. 23 when the Pistons host the Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena and Wednesday, Nov. 24 when Detroit faces the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. James will serve his suspension Tuesday, Nov. 23 when the Lakers visit the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart were ejected from Sunday's 121-116 win by the Los Angeles Lakers over the Detroit Pistons.

James struck Stewart in the face while battling for rebounding position on a free throw. Stewart had his face bloodied by the shot and had to be held back multiple times by teammates and personnel. 

James had only been ejected one previous time in his career, which came in 2017.

“Everyone in the league knows that [LeBron] isn’t a dirty guy," said Anthony Davis. "As soon as he did it, he looked back and told him, ‘My bad. I didn’t try to do it.’ I don’t know what [Isaiah Stewart] was trying to do. Nobody on our team, 1-15, was having it."

LeBron James played for the first time in 2.5 weeks due to an abdominal strain, but the Los Angeles Lakers lost 130-108 to the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers are now 8-9 on the season. 

"It's never, 'We got 65 games left,'" James said when asked if he can take the long view considering the Lakers' early injuries and how much of the 82-game regular-season slate remains. "We damn sure need to play better, no matter who is in the lineup. We have our system and we need to obviously fast-track it and get better with it so we can play, no matter who is out on the floor, we can play at a high level. ... There's no level of panic. But there should be some sense of urgency anytime we take the floor."

James has dealt with his third significant injury in the past four seasons.

"Physically I felt OK and good enough to know that I can trust my body and get out and play tonight," James said. "So, I'm more looking forward to seeing how I'm feeling tomorrow when I wake up. That is the telltale sign if I'm moving in the right direction with my injury."