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LeBron James stunned the media in his postgame conference after the LA Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. The four-time MVP hinted at a possible retirement, insisting that a championship is the only thing that drives him to play.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin had this to report on the latest regarding James’ future in the NBA:
“I spoke to another source on Thursday who’s close to LeBron [James] and he said that he fully expects LeBron to be back for next year. ‘He’s under contract. He is gonna fulfill his contract.’ Monday night, it was a very real statement. He was considering walking away in that moment but it sounds like we will see him back with the Lakers next year.”
McMenamin was the same reporter who clarified LeBron James’ somewhat cryptic statement after the conference finals. He pointedly asked the basketball superstar if he intended to walk away from basketball.
James replied that he had to think about it.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer still has two years left in his contract, including a player option in the second. Where his son Bronny James, who could enter the 2024 NBA draft, could play heading into the 2024-25 season could determine his next destination.
For next year, it seems like LeBron James will try to lead the LA Lakers to a much-coveted NBA title.
Already 38 years old and in the 20th season of his career, James showed that he still has enough on most nights. He had 40 points in the close-out game against the Denver Nuggets and added 10 rebounds and nine assists.
“King James” dropped 31 points in the first half trying to keep the Lakers in the fight against the more balanced, deeper and younger Nuggets. He didn’t have enough in the second half to finish the job, though.
LeBron James reportedly played through with an injured right foot and still nearly dragged the Lakers to the NBA Finals. LA and its hordes of fans will welcome the news of his availability next season.
Some basketball analysts didn’t buy the authenticity of LeBron James’ possible retirement statemtent
Not all were convinced by LeBron James’ uncertain future after the LA Lakers were booted out of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets.
Jovan Buha, who has covered the Lakers for the last three years, had this to say about James’ statement on the “Bill Simmons Podcast:”
“It was a very intentional statement because he had been asked similar questions earlier in the press conference and really deflected the notion [of retirement].
"And then he gets asked a similar question, but right before that, Lakers PR said it was the final question and then he just kind of pivots into what I think was a calculated statement.
“I don’t think it’s that from some people I talked to. He was using it more as a leverage play. … To me, it kind of read as, ‘Give me a reason to come back.'"
Charles Barkley, on the Dan Patrick Show, had an even more sinister interpretation:
(5:02 mark)
“LeBron’s not gonna retire. I was disappointed that he brought that up in the Nuggets’ highlight of their organization. They’ve never been to the finals and they just swept the big, bad Lakers.”
When asked by the host if James did it intentionally, Barkley couldn’t be more emphatic:
“Yes! Yes! Yes! He knows them fools on ESPN will talk about it. They still talk about it! … It was all about LeBron instead of what the Denver Nuggets had accomplished.”
Guess the Lakers players!
