LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is the oldest player in the NBA at 41 years old, and it is known that the league’s all-time leading scorer is slowly closing in on retirement.
But while James is currently leading the Lakers in their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, an official retirement announcement or his plans after this season in general remain unknown.
However, with James set to become a free agent at the end of this year, and with his Lakers’ future still in question, rumors about him retiring have only grown recently, with some hinting that if Los Angeles loses this playoff series against the Rockets, it could be the last time he’s seen on an NBA court.
LeBron James Retirement News And Rumors
Speaking on a recent livestream for ClutchPoints.com, reporters and insiders Brett Siegel and Tomer Azarly discussed some of the new developments as it relates to a potential James retirement from basketball.
“If the Lakers lose two more (games), LeBron James could be retiring,” Azarly said.
“There’s been reports about him not wanting this grand parade and signing off and all that,” Siegel added. “But we don’t know what LeBron wants. Ultimately, only he and his family knows, and he’s spent over half his life in the NBA. He’s a guy that has nothing left to prove.”
The two added that with some of the reports about teams lining up to sign James in free agency, the sentiment is that he will still keep playing.
However, they did add that with how long James has been playing, and the apparent injuries and health concerns that are finally starting to catch up with him, the idea of retirement can’t be ruled out.
But for now, that remains uncertain, and at this moment, James is still leading the Lakers, hopeful to get past the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Draymond Green on LeBron’s Retirement
GettyDraymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors hugs LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers after their game at Chase Center.
Siegel and Azarly’s comments about James’ retirement stem from previous remarks made by Draymond Green about his teammate and on-court foe.
Speaking on a recent podcast appearance, Green said that he ‘would not be surprised’ if James retired after this season, regardless of when or how the Lakers finish their playoff run.
“This may be the last time we see this,” he said. “LeBron could retire after this year. I would not be surprised if he retired.”
As mentioned, James’ official retirement status or playing future in the NBA remains unknown. A report from Dave McMenamin of ESPN earlier in the season laid out all of the reasons why him leaving the league could be on the table, citing his love of golf, interested in spending more time with his family, and some of the hints he’s dropped throughout this season.
Additionally, in a recent report, Sam Amick and Dan Woike of The Athletic said that James would not be interested in a retirement tour.
“The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself.”
While James has talked about himself getting older and wanting to wind down his playing career at some point, he has not yet directly addressed his retirement, so for now, that remains unclear.
However, after what Green said, it can’t be ruled out that the Lakers-Rockets playoff series could be the last time James is on the court, especially if Los Angeles loses the series they previously held a 3-0 lead in.
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