Retirement is a day that comes for every professional athlete, yet it feels like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will never hang it up. Despite dealing with nagging injuries in his 23rd season, James found a way to still produce at a high level, averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists.
Although James’ 3-point shooting is down at 31.3%, he still finds ways to be effective, such playmaking out of the low to mid post and remaining a freight train in transition, giving the Lakers easy points.
While the four-time champion can still play winning basketball at age 41, his retirement will be here sooner rather than later. Whether it is this year, next year, or even further down the line, James opened up about his perception on stepping away from the NBA, via Melissa Rohlin of the California Post:
“I kind of look at it like when you lose a loved one and you have a funeral,” James told the California Post in an exclusive interview. “People tend to be sad, but it’s also a celebration of life. I think for me, when I’m done with this game, it’ll be a celebration of life and not of loss. It’ll be a celebration of everything I’ve been able to accomplish in this game, everything I’ve put into it. The moments, all the love.”
There will never be another player like a 22-time All-Star, as his longevity has never been seen before. That is what he prided himself on, never cheating the grind and making sure to maximize every ounce of his talent:
“I didn’t cheat the game,” James told the California Post. “Listen, I’ve dedicated to this sport. I’ve never cheated the game. I’ve showed up every day on time. I’ve put my work in both on the court, off the court. Just showed grace. That’s what it’s about.
“I’ve just wanted to maximize and squeeze everything I could out of the game because I understood what it gave me, my family and everything. So I was never going to disrespect the game gods. Hopefully there are some highlights in there between my years I’ve played this game. But I never cheated the game. Ever.”
Stepping away from a sport that someone has dedicated two decades of their life to can be an uncertain feeling. However, James knows that if he is smiling at the finish line, he can be content with his career:
“Me smiling,” he said. “That’s the best way I know for sure that I’ve gotten the most out of it.”
Frankly, there is nothing left for James to prove as his list of accolades speaks for itself. However, he deserves to go out on his terms, whether that be in L.A. or elsewhere.
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