The Los Angeles Lakers have championship aspirations as implied by Jeanie Buss as it will be off the back of superstar LeBron James who turns 40-years old in December and is entering his 22nd season in the NBA. However, there have been people in the NBA world that has said the Lakers star in James should retire as ESPN analyst Dave McMenamin speaks on what he sees happening on that subject.
There is no doubt that the phrase “father time” is real in the NBA where it has been undefeated with every aging NBA player, but James is different where he has played at an elite level even at a point in his career where a steep decline should have happened. When Malika Andrews asked what the possible repercussions are for James if the Lakers disappoint the season, McMenamin would rule out a possibility of the 39-year old retiring after the season without a prior announcement.
“I mean, LeBron signed an extension this summer where he only has one year guaranteed,” McMenamin said. “But I wouldn’t start looking at like this is going to be, the clock is starting to tick down on his career, where he would walk away from the Lakers and retire because they had struggled throughout the season. He’s going to be on his own timeline. And I think when it’s the final march of LeBron, perhaps final March rather than Last Dance, we’re all going to know. We’re all going to know and it’s going to be must see TV. It’s going to be the Lebron tour coming to town throughout the 28 NBA cities, culminating in, you know, a spectacular farewell.”
Even if James has a ton left in the tank, it should not be too far down the line that he would hang it up, especially since the Lakers star hinted that retirement could be in the near future during the Paris Olympics this past summer. Before winning another gold medal with Team USA, he would say he does not know “how many opportunities and moments” he has left according to The Associated Press.
“I’m 39 years old, going into my 22nd season, I don’t know how many opportunities and moments I’m going to get like this to compete for something, compete for something big and play in big games. And tonight was a big game,” James said.
As McMenamin said, James signed a two-year, $104 million contract as he’s dedicated in further success with Los Angeles under new head coach and former player JJ Redick. In terms of retirement, James’ agent Rich Paul would theorize he would call it a career in five years via “The All The Smoke Podcast.”
“I think body wise, 5 (years). Mind-wise, understanding how to play the game mind-wise forever,” Paul said. “Mind-wise as it pertains to frustration and or just like, man I had enough, just missing time with his family, they’ve been unbelievable. So his support system at some point it’s got to be about them, and I think from that perspective maybe 2-3 (years) from that perspective.”
At any rate, James and the Lakers are looking to bounce back after finishing with a 47-35 record at the seventh seed and being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Los Angeles’ first game of the season is on Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Zachary Weinberger is a credentialed Miami Heat reporter and an Associate Editor covering the NBA at-large, NCAA Football, and NCAA Basketball for ClutchPoints. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022, covering sports at the FAU University Press and later at The Palm Beach Post.
