Following the Los Angeles Lakers‘ elimination from the 2023 NBA playoffs at the hands of eventual champions Denver Nuggets, LeBron James shockingly suggested he would contemplate retirement this offseason.
Of course, his comments made a lot of noise in the basketball community, but one could understand him. After all, he’s been in the league for 20 years now, and the last few seasons have been exhausting.
However, it’s also true that it would be a shame for him to retire just when the Lakers are getting back on their feet. Fortunately, James’ agent Rich Paul let fans know his client and close friend might be preparing to come back for a 21st season.
LeBron James would be back next season
In an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Paul said he sees James playing well over his 40s, and he also revealed that The King texted him shortly after the loss to the Nuggets and looked ‘motivated to get back there’.
“What does that put him at, five or six more years? He’s one guy that I’m not gonna say no about. I think it’s important to understand what really motivates him. I know it, obviously I’ve been around him for so long I can probably tell you what his day probably looks like without even talking to him. And as long as his mind is there, as long as he’s still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely,” Paul said, via Lakers Nation. “I always tease him I say, ‘If your athleticism went away, you’d just be Karl Malone it’s fine. You can pick-and-pop, shoot the jumper, make the right read.’ He can literally play for as long as he wants to and at this point obviously he’s not playing for finances, he’s playing because he loves the game.
“I think this summer, we saw how the season ended. We saw them basically trying to make the playoffs for two and a half months. And then to get to the Western Conference Finals, which was unbelievable in itself, but for someone who’s always playing for championships it wasn’t obviously good enough. But then you saw how he ended the season and him making the comment ‘having a lot to think about,’ and then two weeks later he’s texting me because he’s motivated to get back out there. So that’s the roller coaster that you go on when you’ve been someone who has come in this league with such high expectations and exceeded them.
“… He’s had an unbelievable journey and I’m impressed with the fact that he still loves it, I really am. It’s a sight to see and I think people will miss him when he does stop playing, obviously the talk shows will have a ton of things to talk about, or maybe not. But you just never know, you really never know. So I just try and enjoy every moment.”
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NBA News: LeBron James officially has four new teammates at Lakers
The Lakers have been busy this offseason trying to improve the team, and they seem to count on James for next season. Time will tell us, but even at 38, it might be a little early for The King to call it a career.
