LeBron James caused alarm bells to ring across the NBA fanbase when he hinted that he might retire after his season with the Lakers ended. LeBron and the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. But one of LeBron’s closest friends and former teammates doesn’t believe he will walk away from the game.
During an interview with Shannon Sharpe, Dwyane Wade spoke about LeBron possibly retiring. Wade immediately dismissed the idea and said that LeBron was caught up in the moment during his press conference.
“You’re talking about the guy who just had 40-10-9 in his last game?… I just want to make sure we’re talking about the same guy. All my money is still in my pocket, I ain’t buying nothing. It’s the moment after the game, man. It’s a lot. Obviously, what they came back from, shout out to the Lakers making the moves that they did for making that push”.
“The conversation in the locker room may not be as funny no more because you don’t have a lot in common with the next generation. You get tired of the travel, the travel gets old because you ain’t traveling around the world, you ain’t traveling with friends. It’s only so many times that you wanna keep doing that same route”.
“When you look at all of that, it beats you down mentally. Physically we know what it is, he’s a physical specimen but at the same time, physically it’s going to beat him down. I don’t know, I ain’t gonna ask him… that’s not my place”.
“I looked at that and thought ‘I ain’t buying that’. I know when the season is over and they’re asking him this question in this moment. But also I know, when he gets away, when he goes to Mexico or goes away to the south of France on his Yacht for the summer, he’s gonna look around and say ‘Okay, the King coming back’.”
(From 38:09 mark)
Wade played with LeBron James for 4 years and won 2 NBA championships with him. On top of that, the two have been close friends for a very long time. So Wade would know how LeBron would be feeling at the moment.
Dwyane Wade Says LeBron James Can Average 20+ Points If He Keeps His Body And Mind Strong
During the same interview, Dwyane Wade talked about what LeBron would need to do ahead of the new season. Wade maintained that the battle would be more mental than physical, as LeBron is still physically dominant. Should he maintain his mental focus and desire, he can continue playing at a high level.
“If he doesn’t get injured, he takes care of himself. Look at him. One of his legs is two of mine put together. He aint built like a normal person. God gave him that blessing. He has the mental to continue to keep the mental strong… LeBron has been able to mentally tell himself you’re not tired, you’re not injured.”
“He’s been able to mentally do that. I’ve had the chance to watch him for 4 years. If he was hurt, you couldn’t even talk that language in front of him… Because the mind is strong. That’s one of his strongest tools… He has an intelligent strong mind that allows him to keep it going. As long as his mind stays strong, and his body stays strong, he can average 20+ for the next couple of years.”
Wade and LeBron are very close friends, and of course, they had a legendary run as teammates playing in Miami. Recently, Wade was named as an inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and LeBron James congratulated him on this massive accomplishment.
Wade seems to think LeBron has a lot left in the tank. And it is very likely that LeBron James does return. James averaged 29.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists last season, still putting up excellent numbers. But with each season, we are closer to the possibility of LeBron James walking away from the game.
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