LeBron James Contemplates Retirement Following Lakers Sweep

King James is non-commital to his 21st season.

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LeBron James left the arena Monday night with his head hung low after the Denver Nuggets won 4-0 in the NBA series to advance to the finals as the Western Conference Champions. Despite James completing his 20th NBA Season with a 40 point game, the Los Angeles Lakers were still swept out of the playoffs.

Following the loss, James’ post-game interview saw him contemplating his next steps and considering retirement this offseason. James broke the news to reporters saying, “Going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.” When he was asked to further elaborate on his thoughts, James said,

When you say you got to think about stuff, what thread should we be pulling on that?

“If I want to continue to play,” James said.

As in next year?

“Yeah.”

You would walk away?

“I got to think about it.”

James also admitted that part of his performance has been affected by his foot injury from previous, “I knew I could get to the finish line. Obviously, I knew I had to deal with it and deal with the pain or deal with not being able to be myself before the injury, but there was nothing that made me feel like I couldn’t get to the finish line,” James said. Of course, with the topic surrounding retirement, the media was curious if he is still thinking of accomplishing his goal of playing in the NBA with his son Bronny James. Bronny recently committed to play at USC and James has since adjusted his expectation. On playing with his son, James stated,

“I’ve done what I’ve had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey. And whatever his journey, however his journey lays out, he’s going to do what’s best for him. And as his dad, and his mom, Savannah, and his brother and sister, we’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do. So, just because that’s my aspiration or my goal, doesn’t mean it’s his. And I’m absolutely OK with that.”

In other sports news, Tom Brady becomes part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Joyce Li
Joyce Li Editor

For over half a decade, Joyce Li has served as an Editor on Hypebeast's global team, leveraging profound industry insights to capture the zeitgeist. Through her editorial lens, she anticipates emerging trends while dedicating her platform to spotlighting those making the greatest impact on culture today. A storyteller first and foremost, she examines the cross-pollination of fashion, footwear, art, music, and sports. This intersectional approach has led to compelling interviews with industry-defining figures like LeBron James, Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady, NIGO, A$AP Rocky, KAWS, and more.

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