Last month, LeBron James made waves in the NBA when he considered retiring. After he and the Los Angeles Lakers were destroyed by the Denver Nuggets with a score of 0-4 in the Western finals, the 38-year-old star shared with the media that he needed time to look back on everything, including the incident. basketball career.
However, James’s fans can breathe a sigh of relief, when he announced that he has not retired yet while receiving the ESPYS awards, an awards ceremony organized annually by ESPN to honor outstanding individuals and groups. the beauty of American sports. The Lakers star was honored for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record-breaking performance. James also took this opportunity to talk about the future.
“I don’t care how many points I can score, or what I can or cannot do on the field. The real question for myself is: Can I play without cheating during the game?” . After a moment of hesitation, James said, “The day I can’t give everything on the field anymore, that will be the day I retire. Luckily for you, today is not that day.”
James’ speech implicitly confirmed that he will return in the 2023/24 season. The Lakers star’s statement received applause.
Will LeBron James retire?
James, who will be 39 years old in December, will not retire this season. The NBA legend will return to the Lakers in the 2023/24 season, the 21st season of his career. James has scored 38,652 points in his career, the most in NBA history. He won the NBA championship 4 times, won the NBA Finals 4 times and became the MVP of the tournament 4 times.
James has never played 70 games in a season since joining the Lakers in 2018. Last season, the former Cleveland Cavaliers star averaged 28.9 points, 6.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds , the performance is still among the top in the NBA. Because of all those factors, James believes that he will still be useful for the Lakers next season.
When can LeBron James play with his son in the NBA?
James has repeatedly stated that he wants to play with his son Bronny in the NBA for at least one season. That’s why James is still determined to play until now, and affirms that that is his biggest goal.
James has a Player Option after the 2023/24 season and Bronny will play at USC starting in the fall of 2023. If Bronny declares for the NBA Draft after his freshman season, LeBron can choose not to activate the extension clause in 2024/25 season with the Lakers and become a free agent. Through that, any team can choose Bronny. James also affirmed that money is not a problem at this time for him.
While that may not be the final factor that determines whether James’ career continues or ends, it’s a good reference point. James has accomplished so much in his NBA career that playing with Bronny seems like the ultimate goal.
