LeBron James wants to emulate the late Kobe Bryant’s legendary farewell tour with the Los Angeles Lakers when his time comes to retire in the NBA.
That is how Cleveland.com reported Chris Fedor described what James has in mind for his final season in the NBA.
“Based on everything that I know about LeBron and all the conversations that I’ve had with people in his general orbit, I believe that LeBron is going to make it known that he is going to retire before he retires,” Fedor said on “Wine and Gold Talk” podcast on July 18. “It’s not going to be a situation where he plays out the final year, and then in the offseason he just retires.
“The sense that I get is, LeBron wants it all. He wants the farewell tour. He wants all of these different franchises reliving all of his moments against them. He wants all of the glitz and the glam.”
Bryant’s last season in the NBA was marked by tributes and ovations from fans and opposing teams, and it was capped by his magnificent 60-point explosion in his final game in 2016 after 20 legendary seasons.
Rich Paul’s Statement Sparks LeBron Trade Rumors
James’ future with the Lakers has been the subject of speculation this offseason.
His agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul’s strong statement when James opted in to his $52.6 million player option sparked the rampant trade rumors.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Paul told ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania that James will closely monitor the Lakers’ offseason.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul continued. “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
Trade rumors began to circulate, with four teams reaching out to Paul to inquire about James’ availability, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported in the aftermath.
Rich Paul, LeBron Dodge Questions About Lakers Future
Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with Rich Paul during a stop in play at Madison Square Garden.
Paul neither confirmed nor denied when he appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio on June 13.
The super agent told Frank Isola that it’s not his or James’ job to rebut or clarify things.
“There are so many voices in today’s game and around today’s game, in media and things like that, and everyone has a job to do for us. Hey, let those people do their job. It’s not for us to issue a rebuttal or to try to give clarity on what’s said, what’s not said. That’s not the focus,” Paul told Isola. “The focus is, ‘Hey, man, enjoy your summer.’
“You can’t dispel everything someone has to say. There’s never been an expectation on anyone, like it’s been on [James]. But my thing is, just continue to find your joy. You can’t go out here and try to prove everyone wrong, or align with or want to make sure that everyone is right. The critique is going to be the critique, and it’s for all players, by the way.”
Then, during James’ first public appearance over in the NBA Summer League since Paul’s cryptic statement, the Lakers star turned down ESPN’s request to sit down on the broadcast for an interview.
“I ain’t got nothing to talk about,” James told McMenamin.
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