LeBron James is breaking long-standing perceptions of what longevity from an NBA star looks like. James is averaging sensational numbers for someone in Year 21 and is still relied upon to be a No. 1 option on a title team. But James’ retirement is inevitable and likely happen in the next few years.
LeBron discussed the end of his career at All-Star media availability, revealing that he’s unsure of when he wants to retire and if he wants a farewell tour in his final playing season.
“I don’t know how many seasons I have left. I know it’s not that many. I also don’t know, I was asked this question a couple of days ago: ‘Will you take the farewell tour or just Tim Duncan it?’ I’m 50/50. I’ll be honest because there are times I feel like I owe it to my fans who have been on this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment. That seems cool. But the other side, I’ve never been that great with accepting praise. It’s a weird feeling for me.”
Lakers’ LeBron James: “I don’t know how many seasons I have left. I know it’s not that many. … I was asked this question a couple days ago: ‘Will you take the farewell tour or just Tim Duncan it?’ I’m 50/50.” pic.twitter.com/G6olIePlnG
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 18, 2024
LeBron is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in Year 21. If he wanted to play by the standards of other legends like Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett, he could play for years until his scoring averages drop to single digits and he’s playing less than 15 minutes per game. But it’s likelier that James steps away from the game before his numbers fall to that extent.
James’ next goal is to play against or with Bronny James, his son who is expected to be a part of the 2024 NBA Draft Class. In the meantime, James also wants to win another title with the Lakers, with the franchise reportedly plotting a move for a superstar player in the summer next to LeBron and Anthony Davis.
Will LeBron James Go On A Retirement Tour?
Very few legends get to go on a proper retirement tour, but some of the best players of all time have been given that honor. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan both had incredible retirement seasons that fans remember to this day. When a name of this magnitude is leaving the sport, a retirement tour is the best way to pay it back to fans all across the country who get one last chance to see him play.
James may not be comfortable with receiving adulation like that, but it’s arguably one of the biggest marketing opportunities for his career, Nike, and the NBA. Unless something catastrophic happens, we likely will see a LeBron James farewell tour take place in the future and it be a celebration of one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
The more pertinent question is if he will have his farewell tour in a Lakers jersey or somewhere else alongside Bronny. The Lakers are motivated to try and acquire Bronny in the Draft, but if they fail, LeBron could walk to the franchise that drafted his son in the summer. James probably won’t give up a winning opportunity to go on a team like the Wizards to play with Bronny, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.
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