LeBron James talks (again) about retirement. What NBA star has said about his future
LOS ANGELES – LeBron James couldn’t find a way to beat the Denver Nuggets.
But did find a way to upstage them.
On Monday night, after the Nuggets completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, James ended his press conference at Crypto.com Arena with cryptic remarks. Such as, “going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about.’’
Later, when asked by ESPN about walking away from the NBA before next season, the 38-year-old James said, “I got to think about it.’’
Of course LeBron James' history buffs probably remember Jan. 31 − less than four months ago − when he told reporters, “I’m going to be in this league for at least a few more years.”
Now perhaps James had a genuine change of heart and is prepared to walk away from the final two years of a contract that will pay him $97.5 million.
Or perhaps James is trying to leverage the Lakers front office to ensure they upgrade the roster and improve their chances of winning a championship.
Or perhaps James really will walk away from the Lakers.
Regardless, it's worth recalling some of the other times he's talked about retirement and what he's said.
LEBRON TO RETIRE? Lakers star says: 'I got to think about it'
The last year will be with Bronny
At the 2022 All-Star Game, James indicated he would not retire before the 2024-05 season.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James, then 36, told The Athletic. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
Bronny, who graduates from high school this week, has committed to play for Southern California next season. He will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft.
'That's up to my mind'
On, Dec. 28, 2022, after the Lakers lost the Miami Heat 112-98 and dropped to 14-21, James told reporters, "I think about how much longer I'm going to play the game. I think about that I don't want to finish my career playing at this level from a team aspect.
"I'll still be able to be compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball club with the right pieces."
When asked if he’d paid any thought to his retirement plans, James said, "I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute.
"Now, that's up to my mind. My body is going to be okay because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I'll continue to put in the work.
‘The game will let me know’
On Feb. 8, 2021, James led the Lakers to a 119-112 overtime victory with his third triple-double of the season. The day before, Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring at the age of 43. A reporter mentioned Brady's achievement when asking James if he had a set number of year he wanted to play.
"I don't know how much more I'll be able to give to the game,'' James said. "The way I feel right now, we'll see what happens. But I have no timetable on it. I have no year of, 'OK, do I want to play until 30-this or 40-that?' The game will let me know when it's time, and we'll figure it out then."
‘I'm not going anywhere’
It was the night of Jan. 31, after James led the Lakers with a 129-1239 overtime victory against the New York Knicks. He sat next to teammate Anthony Davis at a postgame news conference when he was asked about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record.
James was about five weeks from breaking the record.
“I’m going to do it,'' he said. "It’s just a matter of time when I’m going to do it. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be in this league for at least a few more years.”
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