For the Lakers' final-quarter charge, LeBron James is back.

 For the Lakers' final-quarter charge, LeBron James is back.

(AP) LOS ANGELES LeBron James claims that despite the advice of two medical professionals to have surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right foot, he has chosen to play the rest of the season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James returned to the Lakers on Sunday after missing a month due to what he later disclosed to be a serious tendon injury. For just the second time in his 20-year NBA career, he didn't start, but he still led the Lakers in scoring with 19 points in their 118-108 defeat to the Chicago Bulls.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer had not played since February 26 due to a right foot injury.

pain following a victory in Dallas. After receiving the sobering diagnosis, James considered having surgery, but he ultimately decided to continue playing thanks in part to the outstanding performance of his teammates in the final minutes.

The doctors told James that he was "healing quicker than anyone they've seen before with the injuries," according to James.

James sought a second opinion from an unidentified foot specialist, which was another aspect that influenced his choice.

James refused to identify the surgeon, only saying, "I went to the LeBron James of feet, and he told me I should (wait for possible surgery)."

To help the Lakers avoid missing the playoffs for the third time in James' five seasons in Los Angeles, James returned with eight games remaining in the regular season.

James claimed that his teammates provided him with motivation as he put in 12-hour workdays between recovery and training to return to the field of play. Despite adding five new rotation players at the trade deadline, Los Angeles went 8-5 when James was out of the lineup, eventually finding some cohesion during their drive.

“They go 8-5 and obviously had a chance to — the hell with the play-in, we actually can be a top-eight seed,” James said. “It definitely changed my mindset on me coming back and trying to be a part of this. Well, I don’t even want to say (it) changed my mindset. It just enhanced what I was trying to do as far as my workouts, as far as my treatment, and everything. They played such great basketball. I was just ecstatic, from me being in a boot to me getting out of the boot, you guys saw me on the sideline, just so happy about what the guys are doing.”

The Lakers had one of their roughest performances in a month against the Bulls, falling behind by a huge early margin and never closing the gap.

Against the Bulls, the Lakers put on one of their worst games in a month, falling well down early and never recovering.

In his 20-year NBA career, James has only ever participated in a game as a reserve once, on December 11, 2007, while playing for Cleveland.

In his fifth season with the Lakers, James, 38, averages 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. On February 7, he eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's leading scorer, but he had only participated in three games since that momentous night.

James said he is unsure if he would require surgery after the season, but he anticipates having an MRI once he is finished playing for the summer. Even if he undergoes the operation, he claimed he will be fully recovered in time for training camp in the autumn.

James kept the specifics of his recuperation under wraps on social media, and the Lakers gave scant updates on his status while he was away. He also missed five games earlier this season due to a torn left adductor, and throughout his stint with the Lakers, he has lost significant amounts of time due to injuries.

Nonetheless, James appears to be healthy at a crucial time for the Lakers, who may finally have access to their whole squad for the championship game.

the stretch runs last games.

D'Angelo Russell missed his second consecutive game due to a right hip ailment as James made his comeback. Injuries to both players have prevented Russell and James from playing together in more than two games since the Lakers acquired Russell in a trade last month.