After making his first public comments since signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James returned home to Akron, Ohio, to open his I Promise School.
As James is one of the most polarizing athletes of all-time, there is no denying his impact off the court. While it was difficult for him to leave his hometown for the second time, he is looking forward to the challenge of leading the Lakers back to their championship ways.
He’s fully aware of and embraced the uphill battle of the team missing the playoffs the past five seasons. Although James signed a four-year, $153 million contract with the Lakers, he doesn’t necessarily view it as a final stop.
According to Tom Withers of Associated Press, James hasn’t ruled out potentially re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers to finish his career:
“Listen, I don’t close the chapter on anything or close the book on anything,” James said when asked if he would return to Cleveland to end his career. “But hopefully I can sit there one day and watch my jersey go up into the rafters, that’s for sure.”
At the end of his contract with the Lakers, James will be 37 years old and in his 19th NBA season. Depending on health, it would not be surprising for the four-time league MVP to play one more season or sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Cavaliers.
While it would be a storybook ending to his future Hall-of-Fame career, the focus right now is on dethroning the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
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