LeBron James makes official statement about future in NBA
After the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Western Finals in June, LeBron James said he would consider retiring after 20 years of fighting in the US professional basketball tournament.
Having to compress the pain of playing with a torn ligament in his ankle, James still tried to play the role of a leader to lead his teammates to the third round of the NBA Playoffs. In the final game of the season, he played the full 48 minutes, scoring 40 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists.
LeBron was almost exhausted both physically and mentally, leading to him sharing the possibility of retirement, asking himself the question: "How long can I do this?".
All members of the Los Angeles Lakers, including head coach Darvin Ham and professional president Rob Pelinka, are ready to give LeBron James space to think.
No one spoke on behalf of the "king" with such an important decision.A few days ago, when in contact with reporters, President Pelinka once again shared the same message, saying that fans would be updated. updated by LeBron himself.
Until today, the final decision has been made by the player born in 1984 at ESPYs, an awards ceremony held annually by ESPN to honor outstanding individuals and groups of American sports.
“When the day comes when I can't fight hard on the basketball court, I will retire. Lucky for you, it's not today," LeBron James said to loud cheers in the Dolby Theater.
“When last season ended, I said I didn't know if I should continue playing or not. Experts say a lot of different things about what I said. But now, everyone will hear my own opinion.
At that time, I asked myself if I could continue or not, here is to play without losing the value that I bring. Will I be able to show all that I have for basketball anymore?”
"The truth is I've been asking myself this for a few years now, every time the season ends I do the same. I just don't share this publicly.
I don't care how many more points I score or what I do and don't do on the pitch. The real question I ask is can I continue to play to the fullest, without distractions, without taking shortcuts?
I still have a little… no, actually quite a bit of energy to keep playing. I love you all and would like to thank everyone for being by my side throughout this journey.”
Above is LeBron James' speech when he won the 'Record-Breaking Performance of the Year' award at the ESPYs 2023, the reward for him surpassing the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the top scorer All-time in the NBA.
This share implicitly confirms that the "king" will continue to play in the upcoming 2023-24 season, wearing the Los Angeles Lakers shirt for at least another year. the team brought in from the transfer market.
Names like Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent just landed or returning old players like Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura... are all welcome, showing James's excitement ahead of the 21st season in this season. career.
