LeBron James Makes Lakers Return After Ankle Injury, Says He May 'Never Get Back to 100 Percent'

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

LeBron James is back on the court.

On Friday, the 36-year-old athlete made his return after missing the last six weeks due to a high ankle sprain. James had previously sat out of 20 games, according to ESPN.

Though the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the reigning NBA champions, lost 110-106 to the Sacramento Kings, James told reporters his return was a "good start."

"For my first game in six weeks, I felt okay," James said. "As far as my wind, I felt pretty good. As far as my ankle, it was a little tight at times, obviously. ... But I came out unscathed and pretty good. So it's a good start."

But, reflecting on his career and returning after his injury, the Space Jam: A New Legacy star added: "I knew I wasn't going to get back to 100%. It's impossible. I don't think I will ever get back to 100% in my career."

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Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Earlier this year, James suffered an ankle injury when the Lakers took on the Atlanta Hawks in March.

At the time, the NBA star left the game early in the second quarter after the injury and the Lakers later confirmed that he would not be returning. James was injured in the second quarter when Hawks forward Solomon Hill fell on James' right ankle while trying to steal the ball. Hill, 30, was called for a foul.

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According to ESPN, James immediately shouted in pain and rolled off the court. The Lakers took a timeout to check on James, who was cleared to return to the court and quickly scored a 3-point shot for his team.

But a few moments later, James called another timeout and took himself out of the game and went to the Lakers' locker room accompanied by the team's training staff and teammate Anthony Davis, who is still recovering from his own injury. The Lakers played on without James and lost to Atlanta 94-99.

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Speaking with reporters on Friday, James said that returning to basketball was at the forefront of his mind amid his injury, detailing that he continuously had "an urgency to get back and play."

"It's been urgency for me to get back ever since I got injured. So that's just who I am," he said. "You guys could have seen the logging of the minutes and hours per day that I was doing as far as rehab and treatment, it was a lot more than I slept."

"So over the last six weeks, that's all I've been doing, is having an urgency to get back and play," he added.

Looking ahead, James also said that he is looking forward to what remains on the NBA season before it concludes later this year.

"It's only nine games left," he said. "It's just been ... it's been a hell of a season, obviously. ... But we look forward to the challenge. It is what it is. This is the season, and we've got to make the most out of it."