LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers participated in his 20th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, making him the player with the most appearances in NBA history.
The 39-year-old James addressed rumors that the Golden State Warriors had made an attempt to trade for him in order to pair him with standout guard Steph Curry before Sunday’s game. The four-time NBA champion also talked about his general future in the league, admitting that his time is running out.
“I am a Laker, and I’ve been very happy being a Laker the last six years, and hopefully it stays that way,” James told reporters. “I don’t have the answer to how long it will be or what uniform I’ll be wearing. Hopefully, it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization with so many greats. We’ll see. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming, for sure.
With a left ankle injury, James missed the Lakers’ last game before the All-Star break. Despite this, he played just 13 minutes, scoring 8 points, pulling down 4 rebounds, and dishing out 3 assists in the Western Conference’s 211-186 loss to the Eastern Conference.
James is leading the Lakers, who are currently ranked ninth out of the 15 teams in the Western Conference with an overall record of 30-26, into the second half of the NBA season. In addition, he has a $51.4 million player option for the upcoming season, which he can use to sign with any team he wants or return to the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent. He is currently in the final year of his contract with the Lakers.
Many have made predictions about how James’ historic NBA career will end, such as that he will play with his son Bronny James Jr., a freshman guard at USC who is eligible to enter the 2024 NBA Draft this summer, or play a third act with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Although James’ NBA career is still in its early stages, it is also unknown if the league’s all-time top scorer would rather take a “final tour” in his last year, following in the footsteps of NBA greats Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
“I’m 50-50,” James said about wanting a goodbye retirement tour. “I’m going to be honest. There are times I feel like I owe it to my fans who have been along this journey for two decades-plus, to be able to give them that moment, where it’s every city, and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be. That seems cool, but the other side: I’ve never been that great with accepting praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I’ve never really talked about it much.
“It’s just a weird feeling for me,” he added. “To go to each city, if that’s the case — I’ve seen Michael (Jordan)’s, I’ve seen Kobe (Bryant)’s, I’ve seen a lot of guys’ (farewell tour) — I just don’t know how I’d feel. I don’t know if I’d feel great about it. Maybe the only child in me. I don’t know.”