After considering his NBA future following the 2022-23 campaign, superstar LeBron James said he’s returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for his 21st season.
“The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done,” James said during Wednesday’s ESPYs. “Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
James wouldn’t commit to his playing future following the Lakers’ Western Conference finals loss to the championship-winning Denver Nuggets and bypassed his end-of-season media availability.
The 38-year-old struggled with injuries again in 2022-23, missing 27 regular season games. It was James’ third straight season in which he missed at least a third of the campaign. He also played through a lingering foot injury during the latter stages of the season and into the playoffs.
Despite his injury issues, James was as effective as ever last campaign, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists while earning his 19th All-Star and All-NBA nods.
With “The King” topping Kareem Adbul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring mark earlier in the season, there’s little left to prove for arguably the greatest player in basketball history, leading to further speculation about potential retirement.
However, James has long said his greatest goal is to play with his oldest son, Bronny, who starts his freshman season at USC in the fall. James would have to play through at least this upcoming campaign to suit up with Bronny the following year.
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