In the latest league news, San Antonio Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge was officially cleared to return to full basketball activities and will be starting Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers with no restrictions whatsoever, the team announced.

According to ABC News, LaMarcus Aldridge missed two games after being sidelined and diagnosed with a minor heart arrhythmia, but Spurs coach Gregg Popovich revealed Wednesday that the 31-year-old forward has been concerned about his condition all season. Popovich said that Aldridge has been dealt with his condition all year long, which nobody really knew about, but being a consummate pro, he was able to do everything necessary to bring it to a conclusion.

Popovich also said that LaMarcus Aldridge has gone through several procedures, including having to do some things that are "not pleasant." He also praised his starting PF, saying that Aldridge showed a lot of class and a lot of fortitude all the way for him to fully recover.

The Spurs desperately needs LaMarcus Aldridge to be healthy and ready if they are going to leap and overtake the struggling Golden State Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference. According to ESPN, Aldridge is currently averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season.

San Antonio is currently trailing Golden State by a half-game for the league's best record entering Wednesday's game. San Antonio's pursuit of Golden State seemed to be in serious trouble last weekend when LaMarcus Aldridge was reportedly shelved indefinitely and Kawhi Leonard was forced to sit out against the Warriors on Saturday night and undergo the NBA's concussion protocol.

But fortunately, the Spurs beat the Warriors after Golden State coach Steve Kerr also rested his stars Stephen Curry, Kay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. Leonard returned to the team on Monday after missing just the one game to lead San Antonio to yet another impressive win over the Atlanta Hawks.

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