LeBron James hints at retirement: ‘I ain’t gonna play much longer’

The all-time highest scorer in the league is turning 40 years of age next month and he keeps breaking records. LeBron James had not only played against some of the fathers of some of the current NBA’s young athletes, but he is also the father of his new Lakers teammate Bronny. This is why the question about his retirement is lurking close by. 

However, he continues to defy the laws of physics and he’s somehow displaying some of the best stats of his career in recent matches. This is why FOX Sports reporter Melissa Rohlin, asked him about how much longer he thought he could keeps this up.

“Obviously, it’s the mind — wherever the mind is is where the rest of my body’s gonna go, wherever the case may be,” he admitted. “I don’t know. I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest. I don’t know how many years that is, if it’s one year or two years, whatever the case may be. I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not going to be that guy.”

LeBron James is now the oldest player to record FOUR consecutive triple-doubles 👑 pic.twitter.com/oVAFS4hN3d

— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) November 16, 2024

The Los Angeles superstar just became the fifth player with most official games in NBA history this week, and he continues to go strong. In his club’s recent 128-123 win against the Grizzlies, he recorded the 40th 30-point triple-double of his career.

His new coach JJ Redick, assures there is no one like him. “He’s mastered the game, and we don’t win that game, obviously, without him,” the rookie tactician expressed LeBron ended that match with 35 points on 13-for-22 shooting, 14 assists and 12 rebounds.

This meant the forward’s fourth triple-double of the campaign after only 11 contests, which brings his career regular-season tally up to 116. The 39-year-old revealed that the secret is to remain patient and find the right opportunities to thrive.

“Just being very patient and taking what the defense gives me,” LeBron said of this recent feat. “I’ve been doing it for a while. So, I understand time and score. I understand the waves and the swings of the game. So, it’s nothing new to me.”

LeBron has been thriving next to Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura this campaign, finding the perfect spaces for him to lead and rest at certain moments

While co-star Anthony Davis had picked up his fifth foul in the fourth quarter of their last game against Memphis and needed to go to the bench to risk fouling out, James was sent to control the action and played 11 out of 12 minutes in the fourth that night. LeBron later recognized how well his team is functioning.

“I’m just living in the moment,” the superstar said of the triple-doubles in his team’s new dynamic. “It feels good to be able to go out and play the game that I love at a high level still. And every night I step out on the floor, I try to help our team be successful in any way, shape, form or fashion. So, in that sense it’s pretty cool.”

Another teammate who has served perfectly to the team’s new philosophy is Rui Hachimura, who was one of the five Los Angeles players to score 18 points go more against the Grizzlies this past weekend. The Japanese star revealed how he’s fitted into a team built to allow LeBron to impact the game.

“We kind of rely on him a lot sometimes, but I think now we have a good system of helping each other kind of on the court, offensively, defensively,” Rui explained. “I think it’s a lot of the weight [and] pressure off him. … He can kind of be kind of chill and then still he can be himself. I think it’s good.”