PHOENIX – LeBron James’ preseason has ended, giving the 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star a week of rest between games heading into Tuesday’s regular season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James was held out of the Lakers’ game against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, and a source familiar with James’ plans confirmed to ESPN that the forward will not play in LA’s preseason finale against the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

TNT’s Jared Greenberg first reported James’ plans during the Lakers-Suns broadcast.

James is entering his 22nd season, tying Vince Carter for the most in league history.

“DNP old,” Lakers coach JJ Redick joked Thursday during his pregame comments about James’ reason for resting. “Taking it out of Gregg Popovich’s book.”

Redick was referring to the San Antonio Spurs coach who singled out a then-36-year-old Tim Duncan for being “old” when his team was in the middle of playing three games in four nights in the big man’s penultimate game. season 2013-2014.

James finished the preseason averaging 12 points on 46.9% shooting (57.1% from 3), 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.0 turnovers in 18.5 minutes over three games . LA went 1-2. Redick had originally hoped to use Thursday as an extended dress rehearsal and rest players Friday in San Francisco on the second night of a back-to-back, but those plans changed when James and Rui Hachimura (calf tightness) were both out against the Suns .

“I think you have to look at all the factors and in this league you don’t often live in an idealized world, and that’s okay,” Redick said. “In this competition you don’t often get to experience things exactly the way you want to, and that’s fine. We did have a dress rehearsal today – shoot-around for competition day, film session, all of that. And we have I’ll do the same for our pregame. It’s only the first time we’ve done that in the entire preseason.

“So we still got to do some of the things that we wanted to do.”