The Los Angeles Lakers’ front office has done an excellent job this offseason re-tooling their roster around their superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Of course, the return of LeBron is being assumed, even though he spoke about the possibility of retiring at the end of last season.
While nothing has been said for certain, all signs are pointing to James being back in a Lakers uniform for his 21st NBA season and that has now basically all been confirmed by his agent and long-time friend Rich Paul.
Paul made an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio and when asked whether LeBron could conceivably play until his mid-40s, said that he could while also revealing that James texted him not long after the Lakers season ended ready to get back in the gym:
“What does that put him at, five or six more years? He’s one guy that I’m not gonna say no about. I think it’s important to understand what really motivates him. I know it, obviously I’ve been around him for so long I can probably tell you what his day probably looks like without even talking to him. And as long as his mind is there, as long as he’s still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely. I always tease him I say, ‘If your athleticism went away, you’d just be Karl Malone it’s fine. You can pick-and-pop, shoot the jumper, make the right read.’ He can literally play for as long as he wants to and at this point obviously he’s not playing for finances, he’s playing because he loves the game.
“I think this summer, we saw how the season ended. We saw them basically trying to make the playoffs for two and a half months. And then to get to the Western Conference Finals, which was unbelievable in itself, but for someone who’s always playing for championships it wasn’t obviously good enough. But then you saw how he ended the season and him making the comment ‘having a lot to think about,’ and then two weeks later he’s texting me because he’s motivated to get back out there. So that’s the roller coaster that you go on when you’ve been someone who has come in this league with such high expectations and exceeded them.
“He’s probably been one of the best players, top five players in the league for what, 20 years? Even as a 22 year old taking that team to the Finals. Obviously they were overmatched, but he took a team to the Finals at 22. He’s had an unbelievable journey and I’m impressed with the fact that he still loves it, I really am. It’s a sight to see and I think people will miss him when he does stop playing, obviously the talk shows will have a ton of things to talk about, or maybe not. But you just never know, you really never know. So I just try and enjoy every moment.”
James is truly an anomaly in all of sports. For him to still be able to perform at the level he is with so many miles on his body is truly unbelievable. After 20 years in the league, it makes sense that he would at least consider the possibility of retirement, but it always felt like he was coming back and this is more proof of that.
It sounds as if LeBron has been hard at work for some time now, getting ready to try and lead the Lakers to their 18th NBA Championship next season.
LeBron James & Anthony Davis progressing well through foot injuries
One caveat of Paul’s comments regarding James continuing to play was if he can remain healthy, which has been a struggle at times the last couple of years. This past season, LeBron dealt with a plantar fascia issue but played through it in the postseason while Davis also had his own foot issue that he refused to keep him out of the playoffs.
But those injuries shouldn’t be issues for James or Davis heading into next season as Rob Pelinka said all the reports coming from the treatment they have been getting have been positive and they should be able to move past the injuries.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
