The Lakers issued a positive update Thursday on James' status, noting he is cleared for basketball activities and will begin ramping up to 5-on-5 work. The Lakers will re-evaluate James in 1-2 weeks to see how his body is responding to getting back on the court.

Why LeBron James isn't playing for Lakers tonight vs. Hawks with injury news originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t allowed injuries to hinder them from winning games early on.

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers fell 122–102 to the short-handed Atlanta Hawks, who were without Trae Young and several key players, as L.A. continued to play without LeBron James and Austin Reaves.