Everywhere LeBron James fans and Los Angeles Lakers fans are rejoicing. The “King” will be back for his 21st season. He announced it at the ESPYS on Wednesday night while accepting the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance — commemorating him surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list last season.
“I don’t care how many more points I can score or what I can or can’t do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me is, can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t play without giving everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
LeBron Wasn’t Going To Retire
Bron was never going to retire. He has made it clear that he intends to play with his son Bronny for at least one season. The USC freshman will not be eligible for the league until the 2024 draft. So, that cryptic comment from Bron after the Lakers were swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals was nothing more than his own myth making.
“We’ll see what happens going forward,” James said at the time. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest. I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest. Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
Bron is maybe the most calculated modern athlete in the world. Everything he says publicly to the media has some desired purpose and isn’t done accidentally or by chance.
This was a way for Bron to put pressure on the Lakers, it was to ensure he remained the focus of the NBA media’s attention, and to obfuscate and distract from the looming foot surgery he needs or has already received. It’s also to further his own legend.
It’s All Part Of The Mythology
The aging GOAT after having been defeated by the world’s best player for three years running, is finally going to hang it up. Only to defy expectations, again, come back and lead the Lakers back to …
You have to laugh, this is classic Bron. He created an entire news cycle about a fake retirement. It’s brilliant.
The reality is, at 38 he’s still an excellent player. He ranked 10th in EPM, earned another All-NBA honor (19), and All-Star appearance (19).
The Lakers’ title hopes, as they have been since he arrived, depend on his and Anthony Davis’ ability to stay healthy. The roster around them is clearly good enough, as we saw in their postseason run.
But the team started the year in too deep a hole and needed to qualify through the play-in tournament. They were down 15 to the Minnesota Timberwolves and needed OT to escape that play-in game, one they could have easily lost.
Welcome back, LeBron. It’s like you never really left.
