LeBron James will return Tuesday, play first game at Madison Square Garden since 2020, per report

James missed Monday's game against the Nets

LeBron James holds a special place in his heart for Madison Square Garden. When he played his final game against former teammate and friend Dwyane Wade, he declared that only the then-Staples Center and the Garden were worthy venues for such an occasion. He has had a number of notable performances there throughout his career, including a 52-point triple-double in 2009, but lately, he hasn't been able to replicate that success in New York.

That's no fault of his own. The Los Angeles Lakers play only a single game on the road against the Knicks per season. Last year, James was suspended for that game due to an altercation with Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. The year prior, he was injured. That means that James hasn't played at Madison Square Garden since 2020.

That streak will end on Tuesday, however, when the Lakers complete their New York back-to-back with a game against the Knicks, and according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, James will play. That was no certainty after he sat out Monday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Lakers coach Darvin Ham remarked before the game that James is dealing with significant soreness in his left foot, so his status for Tuesday was not certain.

Anthony Davis will seemingly return to the lineup as well, as he was held out of Monday's game because the team's training staff does not want him playing in back-to-backs yet. That will give the Lakers a mostly healthy roster as they look to climb out of the 23-28 hole they've dug themselves while injured. Given James' history at Madison Square Garden, though, he should put them in a position to pick up a victory.