Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James nears the end of his 21st NBA season, questions about how much longer he will play are coming back.
After the Lakers lost in last year's Western Conference Finals, James asked himself the same question.
He eventually decided to join the Lakers for one more year and continued to play at an All-NBA level, even shooting a career-high from the 3-point line. LeBron's favorite pair to play with is his son Brony, who could enter the NBA this year, and it's fair to assume the 2023-24 season won't be James' last.
How many more seasons the 39-year-old will play remains in question. SiriusXM NBA Radio Ahead of Monday's Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets:
“Yeah, you know, I hope so,” Paul said when asked if LeBron would play next season. “Look, I think there will definitely be fewer years with LJ than what we've already experienced. But I think there's a world where, look, the guy's been playing basketball for more than half his life. I think he treated it with great respect and was someone who gave back to the game. I think since he was 18 we pressured him differently than others and expectations. Obviously I've been there. He had no growth, no patience, none of that, yet he managed to establish himself and succeed. Obviously, he was the first NBA player to quote, 'I'm going to do what I want to do,' and in sports, we're so used to it because I don't think people like, 'Oh, because this other guy was a star, you should do what this other guy did, and This other guy did this, so you should do it.' But imagine if we did that in science. There won't be many treatments and tools to heal and do the various things we do in life. So I think it's okay to let someone be who they are. I understand. I'm not saying that biased because I'm LeBron's biggest critic, you know? Especially when I have a problem on the basketball court, I go in front of him and talk about it. So I don't take any of my guys that I represent lightly because I really know the game, I don't look at the stats and tell you how good you were the next morning. I understand if you've done something right or wrong, we've been working on improving it over the summer and we'll get better. But I think, to answer your question, yes, I think we're seeing him, I don't know how long we're seeing him play, but my conversation with him was fun. Enjoy it as you play for a lot less years than you already have. So enjoy the ride my friend, it's a beautiful ride. I think [Brian] Scalabrini probably got a thousand stories playing against LeBron, and when it's all said and done, I think they'll be a thousand stories or a bunch of what he meant to the game. Some may have hated it, some may have loved it, but that's part of being a competitor. But he's had an incredible career and I think we'll see him next year. Now, how many more after that, I don't know. But I think he probably had two or three more years in the tank.
Once the Lakers' season ends, if James decides to play in 2024-25, it will become a question of which team. He has the ability to opt out of his Lakers contract if he wants to and if LA is eliminated in the first round, one option is to test free agency to see if he can find a better team that will give him a chance to compete for the fifth spot. Championship.
All indications are that James wants to be a Laker and his family certainly lives in LA, so he'll have a special opportunity to leave it for a couple of seasons.
Regardless, whenever this season ends for the Lakers, James will have a lot to sort out when it comes to his future.
LeBron James: Anthony Davis Has Nothing To Prove
One thing that could keep LeBron James with the Lakers beyond this season is his relationship with Anthony Davis, who is sure to win a championship in 2020.
Davis continues to play at the highest level for the Lakers, and James recently said he has nothing to prove to anyone.
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