LeBron James is in one of the final stages of his career, continuing to give his best with the Los Angeles Lakers despite his age. Many believed this season could be his last; however, according to Shams Charania, the King does not currently plan to retire from the NBA.
Charania made that point clear during an appearance on Get Up on ESPN, explaining that James could remain in the league longer. “LeBron hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s going to continue to play. I think the feeling around LeBron James around the league is he’s going to go at least one more season.”
The Lakers currently sit in third place in the Western Conference standings. They recently defeated the Denver Nuggets and won eight consecutive games, sweeping the San Antonio Spurs, the second seed. With that run, the Lakers hold a 42-25 record.
LeBron’s performance
James, despite delivering key plays in decisive moments, averaged career lows not seen since the 2003-04 season. The Lakers received only 21.3 points per game from him when he played.
In addition, he shot a struggling 31.1 percent from three-point range. He also averaged only 4.2 rebounds. Even under those circumstances, his availability has been limited, as the Lakers have seen him appear in just 46-67 games so far.
The James Doncic partnership strengthens
The duo of LeBron and Luka Doncic has the potential to be one of the best in the NBA today, both in name recognition and on-court production. However, rumors circulated about a possible poor relationship between Doncic and the Lakers, something James addressed while defending his teammate.
After the game, James described Doncic as a “generational player,” dismissing speculation about tension between the veteran star and the team’s leading figure. Doncic hit the game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime.
“Just a huge shot by a damn generational player,” James told reporters. “He’s a big moment player. We wanted the last shot. We wanted to put the ball in our best player’s hands.” Doncic recorded his eighth triple-double of the season with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. It marked the Lakers’ fifth consecutive victory and their eighth win in the last 10 games before facing the Houston Rockets in Texas on Monday.