LeBron James is nothing if not confident, revealing on his 40th birthday that he could play for a half-decade longer if he wanted to.
When asked what would be the determining factor(s) in a possible retirement, the Lakers superstar indicated it would be more about non-basketball reasons that would see him walk away from the NBA.
“It won’t be because I can’t play this game at a high level,” James said. “To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play at a high level for probably another five to seven years… but I’m not gonna do that.”
Reflective Mood At Practice
James sounded extremely appreciative of the 22-year journey he’s been on in the NBA when speaking at practice, and spoke to the difference of waking up on Dec. 30 as a 40-year-old rather than still being in his thirties.
“Yeah, for sure,” James said. “I had a decade of the thirties, so, to just wake up and be 40, it’s kinda laughable to know where I am, to see where I am still playing the game at a high level. Still being such a young man but old and scheming how many years I’ve got in this profession.
“Just thinking back to when I came into the league, that’s the first thing I thought about, ‘You came in as an 18-year-old kid and now you’re sitting here as a 40-year-old, 22-year vet, with a 20-year-old [son] in the NBA as well.’ That’s pretty cool.”
LeBron Still Elite At 40?
James is averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game this season, which would still be among the best overall numbers in the game.
James’ impact metrics, though, suggest he’s nowhere near as impactful as he used to be, even as recently as last season. The Lakers have been nearly 12 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor this season, which is in stark contrast to last season when they were more than 8 points better 100 possessions with him on the court.
Firmly secure as one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest, James has spoken of foot soreness that he’s dealt with for several years now and has missed games this season to help manage it. He has played 28 of 31 games so far, though the last game missed on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings was due to illness.
While James is still able to produce vintage games like he did on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors, he has been more prone to what would be duds by his high standards. The floor has decreased and the ceiling can’t be reached quite as often, which is what anyone would expect at his age.
It’s incredible that he can still even reach that ceiling. Appreciate and witness greatness while it’s still here, folks.
