LeBron James is in his record-breaking 23rd NBA season and is about to celebrate his 41st birthday. But no means does he have a lot left in the tank, and according to a new report, James could be closer to retirement than ever before, finally closing the book on his historic career in the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers star has shown obvious signs of aging, and though his performance in the team’s last game shows that he can still be impactful, the end is almost here.
Answering the question of whether this is James’s last season before retirement, Lakers insider Dave McMenamin gave a brutal yet telling response.
“Just look at the clues. James is in the final year of his contract. His longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN over the summer that James didn’t ask for an extension with the Lakers,” McMenamin wrote. “We could also be looking ahead at the last 50 or so regular-season games that James has left in him.”
In what could be his final year, James is averaging 20.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 14 games, all of which are near career lows through the first nine weeks of this NBA season.
LeBron James Retirement Near
The insider gave a few key reasons that could signal James is close to retirement, with some reasons more obvious than others.
The first is James picking up his player option for the Lakers this year, a move that he made over the summer, which caused mass speculation because he’ll be a free agent by the end of this season. Additionally, the interview Paul gave to Shams Charania once James picked up his option eerily looked like a goodbye letter to the Los Angeles franchise at the time.
McMenamin added James’ increasing involvement in golf as another factor that could hint at retirement. Though it is a popularly shared hobby for athletes that James picked up late in his career, his rise in golf-related posts and comments could signal that, like so much of the country, he is ready to make that his new priority, once he is done with his full-time job.
“In the past week, he said he isn’t qualified to speak about Jazz guard Keyonte George‘s All-Star credentials because he is watching too much YouTube golf in his spare time,” the insider wrote. “He also said at this point in his life, he is ready to be home with his family rather than playing on Christmas Day.
He also mentioned The King’s recent tendency to ‘stop to smell the roses in some instances,‘ relating to his praising the cities and arena atmospheres of Toronto and Philadelphia, a potential sign that points to him taking in what could be his last work trip to certain NBA locations.
“We’ve also seen James stop to smell the roses in some instances — like when he posted love for the city of Toronto after L.A.’s lone trip there this season, and when he waxed poetic about how much he will miss electric road arenas after the Lakers played in Philadelphia,” McMenamin added.
Finally, James has dropped more consistent messaging about wanting to spend more time with his family, as seen in his thoughts about playing another game on Christmas Day.
LeBron James On ‘Father Time’
All of the previously mentioned reasons are hard to quantify, but James himself recently discussed his battle against ‘Father Time’, the beast that has proven victories against every NBA athlete, barring James for the most part, so far.
“I remember, what was that, LeBron 20 or 21, when I did the Father Time commercial thing?” James said to reporters after the Lakers’ latest win over the Kings. “I’m in a battle with him. And I would like to say that I’m kicking his [expletive] on the back nine.”
Boom! Another golf reference.
When previously discussing his true thoughts on when his NBA career will ultimately end, James has remained rather mum. He hasn’t ruled out the idea of playing a few more seasons, but on multiple occasions said he knows the end is near.
“Obviously, I know I’m on the other side of the hump, for sure,” James said in an offseason interview with Complex. “Come on now, I’m not about to play another 23 years, that’s for damn sure, and I’m not about to play another 10. I’m definitely gearing up to where the end is, I’m not there yet.”
If this is his last season, whenever James does confirm the news, it will likely come as the leading storyline across the league until the Lakers play their final game of the year, whether it be in the regular season or playoffs.
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