LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James has been downgraded to out for the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night because of a sore left ankle, the team announced.
It will be the ninth missed game for the 39-year-old James this season.
He missed the Lakers' last game before the All-Star break and the first one out of it while seeking treatment on the ankle, which has been an ongoing issue for the 21-year veteran for months.
The Lakers star limped off the court with just under four minutes to go in the team's loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.