LeBron James Unsure On A ‘Retirement Tour’ But Wants To Remain A Laker To The End

Following the NBA All-Star Break, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James told reporters that he would like to finish his career on his current team but is unsure if he wants a traditional “retirement tour” for his last year in the league.

James recently became the first player in NBA history with 20 All-Star game appearances and was also in recent trade discussions with the Golden State Warriors, but no move was made. Though James has been in the league since 2003, he remains one of the most influential and dominant players in the NBA. 

James has also discussed wanting to play with his son, Bronny James, who is currently a freshman for the USC Trojans. It would be the first time in league history that a father-son duo would ever play on the court at the same time and no doubt be a unique piece to his legacy. James said to reporters after the All-Star Game that he has no plans “mapped out” for his retirement or when his final season will come. 

“I’m 50-50 (on a tour), I’m going to be honest because there’s times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be,” James said.

He then discussed the final seasons of NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

In the case of Jordan and Bryant, the two used their final season to thank fans and accept gifts from opposing teams in a true “retirement tour,” but in the case of Duncan once the season ended, he quietly ended his career. 

“But the other side of I’ve never been that great with accepting, like, praise. It’s a weird feeling for me,” James told the press. “I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me. So to go in each city, if that’s the case – I don’t know.”

The four-time Finals MVP has played the last six seasons with the Lakers after moving from Cleveland in 2018. After this year, James has the ability to resign with Los Angeles on a one-year $51 million deal, but also decline and test the free agent market. If he were not to resign, he would be the most sought-after free agent in the past few years, despite being the oldest active player in the NBA. 

“But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in,” he said. “Hopefully, it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization and so many greats. But we’ll see. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming, for sure.”

Despite his age and talks of retirement, James did commit to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Originally, he said his decision would be based on his health, and he says he is still in good enough physical shape for the Games.

James won two gold medals for Team USA in 2008 and 2012 and is currently the all-time leader for the U.S. men’s national team. Though it would be more than 20 years after he was drafted in the NBA, James playing in the 2024 Olympics would be a testament to his longevity and skill. 

Article by Eli Gregorski