Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James grimaces as he trips and injures himself on Saturday in Los Angeles. Photo: IC

 

LeBron James crashed out of the Los Angeles Lakers' 99-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Saturday with a right ankle injury that will sideline the NBA superstar indefinitely.

The Lakers superstar collapsed to the Staples Center court in agony after a collision with Atlanta's Solomon Hill in the second quarter, crying out in pain and clutching his right ankle.

The 36-year-old returned briefly to hit a three-pointer before limping back to the locker room, knocking over a chair in frustration.

ESPN later reported that an MRI scan revealed a high ankle sprain and that James faced an "indefinite" injury layoff.

Depending on the severity, high ankle sprains can take anywhere from a few weeks up to several months to recover from.

James did not speak to reporters, but tweeted later that he would return as soon as possible.

"Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates!" James wrote. "I'm hurt inside and out right now. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left."

A lengthy layoff for James would be a devastating blow to the reigning champion Lakers, who are already without star Anthony Davis as he recovers from Achilles tendon trouble.

Lakers teammates Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell admitted that the sight of James leaving the arena was unnerving.

"We do forget he's human sometimes, to see him in pain like that," said Harrell, who was unhappy with Hill's dive for the ball that led to James's injury.

"We don't feel like it was one of those basketball-type plays," Harrell said. "He had to go through his leg to get the ball."

With James missing, the Lakers offense struggled to get in the groove as the Hawks - fueled by 27 points and 16 rebounds from John Collins - notched their eighth straight victory, the longest active streak in the league.

The Lakers fell to 28-14 to remain in second place in the Western Conference behind the Utah Jazz.