LeBron James acknowledged on Sunday that he does not have that many seasons left in the NBA, but that does not mean he knows exactly how he plans to go about retiring.
At a media availability prior to Sunday’s All-Star Game, James admitted that he has not “mapped out” how much longer he will play, though he conceded he only has a handful of years left. He also suggested he would like to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, saying he was “very happy” with the team.
As for whether James will embark on a farewell tour or simply retire abruptly, the superstar admitted that he goes back-and-forth on that.
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“I was asked this question a couple days ago: will you kind of take the farewell tour or will you kind of just Tim Duncan it? I’m 50-50,” James admitted. “There’s times when I feel like I owe it to my fans that’s been along this journey with me for two decades-plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city, whatever the case may be, and they give you your flowers. That seems cool, but the other side: I’ve never been that great with accepting praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I don’t really talk about it much. To go into each city, if that’s the case, I just don’t know how I feel, if I would feel great about it.”
Kobe Bryant famously announced his retirement ahead of his final season, enabling him to take a full “farewell tour” around the NBA. In contrast, Duncan simply announced his retirement through a team statement with little warning or fanfare. For James, both options are on the table.
Reports emerged after last season, seemingly encouraged by James, suggesting the star was contemplating retirement. Many saw this as a tactic to put some pressure on the Lakers ahead of the offseason, but it does appear possible that James could simply walk away at some point during a future offseason. He seems content to keep everyone guessing for now, largely because he has yet to make his mind up himself.
