LeBron James, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers and one of the greatest players in NBA history, has hinted again that his playing career is nearing its end.
At the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-opening news conference early Tuesday, James offered a glimpse of his thinking about the future while stressing he has no intention of staying in the NBA just to play alongside his youngest son, Bryce.
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LeBron James talks to reporters
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“I’m not waiting on Bryce,” James said with a smile. “He’s got his schedule, I’ve got mine, and I don’t know if they even line up.” Bryce James began his freshman season this year with the University of Arizona basketball program.
James, who will turn 41 in about three months, is opening his 23rd NBA season — an all-time record. Despite his age he remains one of the game’s best players and was named to the second All-NBA team last season. This past summer he exercised his player option with the Lakers, locking in $52.6 million, but has not reached a new, longer-term contract with the club.
His agent, Rich Paul, said in June that James’s career was at a crossroads. “We understand the difficulty of building for the future with Luka Dončić and trying to win now,” Paul said. “We’ll consider what’s best for LeBron at this stage of his life.”
Lakers president and general manager Rob Pelinka said the team “will respect whatever decision LeBron makes about the end of his career, but of course we hope he finishes as a Laker.” If he does not sign a new deal, James would become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Still, the four-time MVP sounded upbeat about the moves the Lakers have made around him and around Dončić, including adding Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. “I’m looking forward to a full season with Luka,” James said. “Last year it was hard to change the style after the trade, and I watched EuroBasket to get a better sense of how he plays.”
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LeBron James feels the love of the LA fans
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On retirement, James said the decision will be a family matter. “It will be a decision between me my wife and my daughter because both my sons no longer live at home,” he said.
He was not closing the door. “I treat my age like a wine I drink — the older it gets, the better it is,” he said.