A withdrawal without a scheduled date
After having started its twenty-second season in October in the NBAthe word “retirement” is not yet part of LeBron James’ vocabulary. In July he signed a new two-year contract with the Lakers, worth approximately $100 million, with the second season ($52 million) at his discretion.
And the Lakers, for which he has played since 2018, do, of course, everything possible to pamper their star.
This summer they selected their son, Bronny James, in the draft, a young man whose future in the elite is still uncertain, opening the possibility of forming the first father and son duo to share the same court in the NBA.
After two irregular seasons, the franchise with 17 titles fired coach Darvin Ham in June to hire JJ Redick, a former player with no previous experience as a coach, but a great friend of LeBron James, with whom he hosted a podcast.
LeBron only mentioned the possibility of his retirement in the summer of 2023, after the heart accident suffered by his son Bronny. “At that moment I was exhausted, mentally I was not quite there anymore,” he confessed.
New records in sight
The “King” left an indelible mark on NBA history by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in February 2023, becoming the top scorer of all time, before reaching the symbolic figure of 40,000 points in March of this year . .
The counter continues to advance (as of December 27 it accumulates 41,131 points), with the intention of taking this record to unattainable heights.
Entering his 22nd season, he tied Vince Carter’s record and will surpass it if he decides to extend his career.
His longevity also allows him to aspire to the record for most games played. He currently occupies fifth position (1,520), not too far from Robert Parish’s record (1,611), whom he could surpass if he extends his career for one more season.
Fourth best passer in history (11,261), James, who has an average of 9 assists this season, will have difficulty reaching the podium, since Jason Kidd occupies third position with 12,091 assists, far from the unattainable record of John Stockton (15,806 ). ).
Although he holds the record for points, LeBron still does not have the record for baskets scored, a record that seems achievable: he has scored 15,088, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15,837).
Still a candidate for the title?
Four-time champion, LeBron James has not won a new ring since 2020 when he was crowned in the NBA bubble in Orlando, during the Covid pandemic.
Since then, the Lakers have been disappointing in the regular season (7th, 11th, 7th and 7th), reaching the Western Conference finals in 2023, but being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last spring.
This season, after a good start, they have returned to their usual level, suffering some humiliating defeats, both in play and attitude. “I’m ashamed,” Redick had declared after a beating in Miami at the beginning of December (134-93).
According to leading sports outlet The Athletic, “the Lakers need one or two player trades to have a shot at a title this season.”
Despite continuing to be essential with an average of 23.5 points, LeBron’s ratio (evolution of the score when he is on the court) is, however, largely negative this season.
His star duo with Anthony Davis lacks support and is criticized for intermittent defensive involvement.
The ambition of Las Vegas
After his career, LeBron James has not hidden his desire to become the owner of an NBA franchise, especially in Las Vegas, which is in the plans to obtain a team in case of an expansion that could occur after the signing of a new television broadcast rights agreement.
LeBron had spoken to ESPN about this project as his “ultimate goal.”
Partner of the Fenway Sports Group fund, owner of Liverpool of the English Premier League, James already owns stakes in that club, the Boston Red Sox (baseball) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (hockey).
Forbes estimates that LeBron James is the first basketball player to become a billionaire ($1.2 billion) during his career.
