LeBron James isn’t done with basketball yet. The Los Angeles Lakers star announced on Wednesday night during the ESPYS ceremony in Los Angeles that he will continue to play.
After the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, James had openly pondered retirement. However, with the upcoming season, he will become just the sixth player in NBA history to play in his 21st season or beyond, joining Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, and Vince Carter, who holds the record with 22.
“I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” James said after accepting the ESPY award for Best Record-Breaking Performance, for passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer. “The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
Present at the ceremony was James’ wife, Savannah, accompanied by their three children: 18-year-old Bronny, 16-year-old Bryce, and 8-year-old Zhuri.
“Please welcome to the stage, the GOAT, respectfully, LeBron James,” Savannah said.
James, who will turn 39 in December, used the occasion to reflect on how his children have fueled his continued passion for basketball. Bronny Jr. will be a freshman on the USC basketball team this fall. Bryce transferred to Campbell Hall High School, where he will play his junior season. James recently coached Bryce’s AAU team, Strive For Greatness, at the Peach Jam tournament in South Carolina.
“Tonight, I want to use this moment to just say something that I’ve said a million times and I will never get sick of talking about it: I love this game. I love the game of basketball,” James said.
Hence, the return of The King. “You know what brings me back every year? It’s watching and coaching my boys and their teammates,” he said. “I see those kids and it brings me right back to why I play. Those kids get me back to where I need to be, just the pure love of this beautiful game.”
In short, “Yeah, I still got something left. A lot left. I love you all and thank you so much for watching this journey so far.”
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