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LeBron James of the LA Lakers is the oldest player in the NBA this season. He's is in his 21st year in the league and at 39, he's still one of the best players in the world. However, is "The King" flirting with retirement again following his comments before the 2024 All-Star Game? Let's examine.
In his All-Star pregame media availability, James was asked about his future and acknowledged that he's closer to retirement than ever. He has a player option to stay with the LA Lakers next season and would love to retire wearing purple and gold.
"I am a Laker, and I'm happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way," James said.
"But I don't have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I'll be in. Hopefully is with the Lakers. It's a great organization, so many greats. But we'll see."
LeBron James is at the twilight of his career but is still averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season. He's also shooting 52.0% from the field, 39.5% from beyond the arc and 74.1 from the charity stripe.
"The King" knows that he's inching closer to retirement even though he has been defying Father Time for a while now. He has broken records and won championships. He previously teased retirement after getting eliminated in the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets.
Some people even think that he has surpassed Michael Jordan as the G.O.A.T. and has nothing left to prove. James having a player option for next season is vital, as he wants to play with his son Bronny, who's expected to enter the NBA draft this year.
LeBron James could opt out and sign with the team to bring in Bronny or opt in and hope that the LA Lakers get him. He invested a lot of money in his body and could play a few more years.
The most obvious answer for him is that he'll likely think about retirement seriously when Bronny is in the league. Another likely scenario is for him to wait out till 2026 and play with both his sons.
LeBron James not interested in farewell tour
LeBron James is unsure if he wants to have a farewell tour when he announces his final year in the league. James' earlier possible retirement is next season, and the latest is likely after Bryce James' first season.
Another potential factor in LeBron's retirement is the possibility of owning an NBA team. If the opportunity of owning a team presents itself, it would be difficult to see him not take it. He's part owner of FSG, one of the conglomerates interested in bringing an NBA team to Las Vegas.
If LeBron becomes an owner, he will have to retire because active players are not allowed to have a stake in an NBA franchise. Nevertheless, here's what he said about having a farewell tour:
"I'm 50-50, I'm going to be honest, because there's times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it's every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be.
"That seems cool, but the other side of that, I've never been that great with accepting like praise. It's a weird feeling for me."
