LeBron James Hints at NBA Retirement After ‘Disappointing’ Lakers Loss: There’s ‘A Lot to Think About’
23.05.2023 - 18:13
/ usmagazine.com
Taking a beat. LeBron James is unsure of his future in the NBA after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets during the 2023 playoffs.
“I haven’t begun to even think about next year,” James, 38, confessed during a press conference on Monday, May 22, after the Lakers lost in the 2023 West Conference Finals. “We had a great run, but we fell short of our goal and our goal is to win championships. That’s what this franchise is about, so that’s disappointing.”
The Ohio native, who has been playing in the NBA for 20 years, explained that this season was “very challenging” despite his personal achievements. (James made NBA history in February when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most regular season points scored by any athlete. At the time, his scoring total was 38,388.)
“I don’t like to say it was a successful year because I don’t play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career,” the former Miami Heat player told reporters after Monday’s game. “I don’t get a kick out of making a conference appearance. I’ve done it a lot. It’s not fun to me to not be able to get to the finals.”
The Olympian teased: “We’ll see what happens going forward, but I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest. Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”
James told ESPN later that evening that he was referring to thinking about “if I want to continue to play” next year.
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When asked whether he “would walk away” from the league, the professional basketball player said, “I got to think about it.”
The four-time NBA champion’s surprising revelation came after James scored 40 points for the Lakers