Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has already shattered all expectations with how effective he remains despite being 41 years old and playing 23 NBA seasons, more than any other player in history. Many continue to wonder when he will retire from the game of basketball and he recently gave a glimpse into when that will be.
Going into this offseason many are wondering whether he will continue playing as he has nothing left to prove. But in an interview with Sean Gregory of Time Magazine, James outlined exactly when he will know it’s time to hang it up:
“It’s up to the mind,” says James, 41. “Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, if I’m out of love with getting to practice 2½ hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.”
Right now, James remains very much enamored. “Hell yeah,” he says. “I’m sitting here talking to you. I don’t have a voice, I’ve got practice in an hour. You think I’m not having fun still? I could have my ass at home, with a hot pack on my throat, having a f-cking hot toddy and some scrambled eggs.”
This falls in line with what many athletes have said in the past. It’s not the games itself that they can’t do anymore, but the work beforehand and after that they just can’t handle anymore. The amount of preparation that James must put his body through to suit up every night is unreal, but he clearly loves it and is still willing to do so.
The fact that James admitted he’s still having fun and was set to go put in some work after the interview would seem to lead towards the idea that he will indeed be returning for a 24th season. Considering how good he was in Year 23, he clearly is capable of still being effective and, assuming he does play another year, the question will be whether he returns to the Lakers or chooses to sign elsewhere in free agency.
Warriors ‘legitimately interested’ in signing LeBron James this summer
There are undoubtedly a number of teams who will be looking to sign James this offseason as he is an unrestricted free agent. And one familiar team that is once again interested in bringing him in is the Golden State Warriors.
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