LeBron James details retirement plans: 'I don't have much time left'
NBA superstar LeBron James is not ready to announce his retirement but knows the day will come sooner than later. After leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, James was asked how long will he continue to play in the NBA.
“Not very long,” James said. “Not very long. I’m on the other side, obviously, of the hill. I’m not gonna play another 21 years, that’s for damn sure. But not very long. I don’t know when that door will close as far as when I’ll retire. But I don’t have much time left.”
James turned 39 in December and has a $54.1 million player option on his contract for next season. He’s still playing at a high level, scoring 40 points in Sunday’s game against the Nets. According to ESPN, James joins Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to have multiple games of 40 points or more after turning 39.
“I don’t ever have to lean on [3-pointers] because I can do so much — I can score on any level on the floor basically once I cross half-court,” James said. “But being able to have a growth mindset and be able to work on things that the league is changing to, the league is a heavy 3-point shooting league.
Will LeBron James play with his son?
James will likely play in the NBA for another two years. And if that happens, will he play with his son Bronny James? The younger James is currently playing at USC, and his draft status has been speculated. This led to LeBron coming to his son’s defense.
“Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball,” LeBron said in a social media post in February. “The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!”
In a follow-up post, LeBron wrote, “And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding. “These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”
Bronny James played in 25 games this past season and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game off the bench.
On3’s Andrew Graham contributed to this report