Is retirement on the horizon for LeBron James? Possibly. However, everyone isn’t convinced considering how often LeBron has expressed how he wants to play in the NBA alongside his son, Bronny James. More inside…
Will the epic NBA father-son duo ever happen?
In a stunning twist of events, LeBron James has thrown us all for a loop with his cryptic comments about possibly stepping down from his basketball throne. The Lakers’ unfortunate playoff sweep by the Nuggets left us puzzled, as King James mentioned having “a lot to think about” during the offseason.
After delivering a remarkable performance, scoring a whopping 40 points and leaving everything on the court during the Los Angeles Lakers’ heart-wrenching 113-111 Game 4 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the 38-year-old Lakers star concluded his post-game press conference with a tantalizing remark. As the final seconds ticked away, LeBron’s last-second floater to push the game into overtime was abruptly denied by a buzzer-beating block.
In a moment of reflection, LeBron left reporters with a cliffhanger, stating, “Going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
Watch the clip below:
.@KingJames: “Personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.” pic.twitter.com/RYOoj3H9Qa
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 23, 2023
Oh?
ESPN reached out to LeBron for clarification, eager to delve deeper into his intriguing declaration to find out if he would return for his 21st season.
ESPN: When you say you got to think about stuff, what thread should we be pulling on that?
LJ:”If I want to continue to play,” James said.
ESPN: As in next year?
LJ:”Yeah.”
ESPN: You would walk away?
LJ:”I got to think about it.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said a source close to LeBon revealed that NBA star felt the effects of the travel and physicality in the first round against Memphis — and then the second round against Golden State “brought back old demons” of the previous Finals matchups they had when he was in Cleveland.
Some fans believe retirement seems highly unlikely for King James, considering his repeated desire to play alongside his son, Bronny James, in the NBA. However, this doesn’t guarantee his return to the court in the upcoming season.
Bronny has committed to playing his freshman year at USC and is expected to be a top prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft. If he decides to turn professional after one collegiate season, LeBron may only have to wait for a single year to realize his dream of playing alongside his son. Coincidentally, LeBron’s player option for 2024-25 aligns perfectly, allowing him to potentially sign with the team that drafts Bronny.
Retiring and forfeiting his substantial salary for the upcoming season wouldn’t be a logical move, especially considering the opportunity it presents to potentially join the team that drafts his son, Bronny. It’s a situation where retiring would not only impact his earnings but also restrict his possibilities to align himself with Bronny’s future NBA team.
During an interview with ESPN on Monday, LeBron also addressed the possibility of undergoing surgery this summer, stating, “I’m going to get an MRI on it and see how the tendon either healed or not healed and go from there. We’ll see what happens.”
Although LeBron acknowledged that his foot injury had an impact on his performance upon his return, he made it clear that he never contemplated ending his season prematurely. In contrast to previous instances like the 2021-22 season, where he missed the final five games due to an ankle injury, and the 2018-19 season, when a lingering groin strain kept him out of the last six games, LeBron remained committed to playing through his current injury.
King James, who is the NBA’s all-time top scorer, has one more season left on his Lakers contract, valued at $46.7 million for the 2023-24 season. Additionally, he holds a player option for the subsequent season, which amounts to $50.4 million.
The Denver Nuggets’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday (May 20th), attracted the highest viewership for an NBA Conference Finals Game 3 since 2011. The game, aired on ABC, averaged 8,384,000 viewers, with a peak of 10,788,000 viewers between 10:45 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen.
Compared to the last televised Western Conference Finals Game 3 in 2021, Saturday’s game saw a 55 percent increase in viewership. It also experienced a 23 percent rise from last year’s Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 broadcast on ABC and a 13 percent increase from last year’s Western Conference Finals Game 3. Moreover, it was the most-watched program of the day across all television networks and among all key demographics.
Stay tuned for the next chapter in the saga of King James.
BONUS:
Speaking of retirements, Carmelo Anthony has officially retired from the NBA after 19 seasons.
