"Our hope would be that his career continues"- Rob Pelinka wishes LeBron James can continue but says the King can do whatever he wants
LeBron James' announcement regarding a potential retirement will undoubtedly have a massive impact on the LA Lakers' future. In light of this, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka shared his approach towards what the future holds for the franchise as well as LeBron.
The Lakers' recent sweep in the Western Conference Finals highlighted some harsh realities for the superstar LeBron James. Additionally, Carmelo Anthony's retirement announcement on the same day may have contributed to an unusual headspace for James.
As a result, rumors and speculation about his retirement after 20 seasons have started circulating. Addressing this topic, Rob Pelinka discussed the matter with ESPN, stating:
(Watch Pelinka's comments from 2:43-3:48)
"We'll look forward to those conversations when the time is right. But I will say this, LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who's ever played. And when you do that, you earn a right to decide whether you're going to give more."
"I think sometimes we put athletes, entertainers on a pedestal, but they're humans and just like us. They have inflection points in their career and our job as a Lakers is to support any player on our team if they reach a career inflection point."
"Obviously, our hope would be that his career continues, but we want to again just give him the time."
Pelinka seemed largely positive when discussing the Lakers' outlook towards LeBron James moving forward. With a long offseason on the horizon, the Purple and Gold have a lot of time to prepare their next plan of action.
Should LeBron James retire?
LeBron James has had an illustrious 20-year career as a professional basketball player. With several accomplishments and accolades to his name, James will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest to ever do it.
Considering the sheer wear and tear his body has undergone over the course of his long career, James is right to consider retirement. Although he remains a very productive player, it is evident that there are certain aspects of the game that simply aren't as easy for him anymore.
BREAKING: LeBron James is considering retirement (via @ChrisBHaynes) 🤯
https://t.co/t7Zv2sxiBU
That being said, LeBron James can still proudly say that he is better than a huge portion of the league. As per ESPN's David McMenamin, James believes that if he continues to be better than 90% of the league, he sees no reason to walk away.
With considerations being made for his son being on the path to joining the league as well, LeBron may choose to play on.