LeBron James has hit back following a dig from the NBA champion winning Denver Nuggets who took aim at the Los Angeles Lakers star during their celebrations..
The top seed in the Western Conference celebrated the franchise's first ever championship with a trophy parade on Thursday. Several hours before the event, Nuggets coach Michael Malone trolled James following his comments regarding his future after the Lakers were swept by Denver in the Western Conference finals.
“Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know... this is breaking news: I'm thinking about retiring,” Malone said on the Pat McAfee Show. This prompted James to issue a strong response on Instagram while taking some time off in Europe after a grueling NBA season.
“In Europe for the last past few weeks minding my business and I hear 'I'm on your mind that much, huh?” he began. “I mean I guess I see why but wave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high. Enjoy your light but just know I'm the SUN. I stay on forever!”
Following the Lakers' crushing elimination from the playoffs, James hinted at the possibility of walking away from basketball after 20 seasons. “I don't like to say it was a successful year because I don't play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career,” said James after averaging 23.4 points and 10 rebounds per game in the postseason.
“I don't get a kick out of making a Conference appearance. I've done it a lot. It's not fun to me to not be able to be a part of getting to the Finals. But we'll see. We'll see what happens going forward. But I don't know. I don't know. I got a lot to think about, to be honest.
“Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about.” The photo which accompanied the caption was of the basketball legend starting the 24 Hours of Le Mans race earlier this month.
The four-time NBA champion joins an illustrious list of celebrities to have started the race, such as fellow sports icon Rafael Nadal, and actor Brad Pitt. Speaking about the honour, the four-time Finals MVP explained: “There’s nothing like seeing and experiencing sports at their highest level.
"It’s an honour for me to be part of this historic moment in motorsport and help celebrate the Centenary of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. I look forward to kicking off this iconic race and watching its world-class drivers compete on Le Mans’ global stage.”
