On Monday night, after his Los Angeles Lakers were swept in the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets, a LeBron James comment drew some unexpected attention to himself.
He said he’s not sure if he will play for the Lakers next season and that he has “a lot to think about” when it comes to “moving forward with the game of basketball.”
Although some believe he will actually take time to think about where he is with his career and how he feels about continuing to play in the NBA, few actually think he will retire this offseason.
Prominent analysts chimed in on Tuesday about where they thought James was coming from in making his comment about considering retirement.
Chris Broussard
Broussard has shown plenty of praise to James over the years, although it’s hard to call him a James apologist.
On Fox Sports 1′ “First Things First,” he said there’s a slim chance James will return before next season, and that he believes the superstar made the comment for other reasons (h/t The Cold Wire).
Any chance LeBron retires?
"There's a possibility but it's a slim chance he retires. He was understandably angry & upset about the loss. It could’ve been a message to the front office, & maybe for the first time he realized he's not the best player anymore." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/0Ctt7sLgyK
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 23, 2023
The Lakers have had a very good team since a slew of midseason trades remade the supporting cast around James and Anthony Davis. However, they’re obviously not good enough as constituted to seriously contend for an NBA title.
Broussard thinks James was perhaps also sending a message to the team’s front office to make sure it improves the roster around him for next season. Of course, in that case, many will invariably speculate it means James once again wants it to acquire his old championship teammate and friend Kyrie Irving.
Brian Windhorst
Windhorst is a reporter who has closely followed James since his high school days in Akron, Ohio. He seriously doubts James will call it quits this soon, mainly because he knows the four-time MVP has an intense desire to play alongside his son, who will not be eligible to be drafted into the NBA until 2024.
Windhorst also added that James’ retirement comment also likely came out of a place of fatigue. The 38-year-old played all but four seconds of Monday’s Game 4 (yes, that is not a misprint), and he played heavy minutes for much of the regular season as he kept the Lakers afloat in January and then looked to power them into the playoffs.
Remember, they started the season 2-10 and were outside of the play-in tournament picture until the final days of the schedule.
"I think [LeBron playing with Bronny] is going to trump everything."
👀 @WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/D5RB5aVuIw
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 23, 2023
Windhorst also noted he’s been around numerous NBA players who said at the conclusion of a season that they were retiring or at least thinking of doing so, only to continue playing the following year.
Nick Wright
Wright could credibly be called a James apologist. He firmly believes James is a better basketball player than Michael Jordan was and has never been shy about showering James with as much praise and flattery as possible.
Wright feels the superstar actually retiring is on the board.
“Am I buying that LeBron could actually retire? Yeah. I think it’s on the board. … And I will tell you, LeBron played as if he thought it might be his final time playing. … His first half alone was the greatest old guy playoff game ever and far and away, the greatest year 18, 19 or 20 playoff game ever — just the first half.”
Wright then acknowledged James’ stated desire to play with his son, but the analyst also noted that he has softened that stance more recently and said that he’s not sure if the feeling is mutual.
Wright also added that he feels it’s possible James takes the 2023-24 season off, then returns the following year to team with his son.
Skip Bayless
While Wright is a James apologist, Fox Sports 1’s Skip Bayless has been accused of being a James hater over the years — although lately, he has softened his attitude toward the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
He believes there is no way James will retire this soon, unless he has a health issue, possibly with the right foot injury he has had for the last three months, that’s getting in his way of playing.
Bayless also said James’ feelings were hurt because his team got swept, and that perhaps a secondary reason for the future Hall of Famer’s comments was to deflect attention and blame from the team and to possibly conjure up some sympathy from people who don’t want him to retire.
"There is NO way LeBron James is going to retire, in my humble estimation, at this moment." — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/FaHUI5lVza
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 23, 2023
The comparison Bayless made was to NFL star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who mused about retirement lately after a couple of tough playoff losses, only to request a trade and get sent from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets.
