Should LeBron James reconsider his retirement plan? Injury-riddled seasons and Bronny James dream seem at opposite ends right now
LA Lakers star forward LeBron James has long made it known that he would eventually like to play with his eldest son, Bronny James. He has even touched on the possibility of playing with his younger son, Bryce James, too. However, as age and injuries appear to be catching up to him, LeBron may be forced to reconsider his retirement plan.
Bronny is 18 and in his senior year of high school and is expected to attend one year of college before declaring for the 2024 NBA draft. Meanwhile, Bryce is a 15-year-old high school sophomore and won’t be draft-eligible until 2026 at the earliest.
That means LeBron, aged 38, would be 39 going on 40 while playing his first possible season with Bronny. He would be 41 going on 42 if he stays on to play with Bryce.
LeBron James has long been considered one of the NBA’s premier ironmen. James has played a whopping 1,413 regular season games and counting over 20 seasons. That includes playing 70-plus games in 13 of his first 15 seasons. Moreover, one of the two seasons he did not reach 70 games during that stretch came during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign.
However, since signing with LA in 2018, James has experienced a steep decline in his availability. He played under 70 games in each of his first four seasons with LA, averaging just 55.8 games played. Moreover, James has played just 47 of the Lakers’ 63 games this season and is set to miss the next few weeks with a right foot injury.
So LeBron James’ future longevity may be more in doubt than most fans realize. James even hinted at that recently when asked if he would still like to play with his son Bryce:
“I know I’m on the side of the hill, that’s for sure,” James said, via Fox Sports’ Melissa Rohlin.
LeBron James was asked if he wants to stay in the league long enough to play with Bryce. He said he’s not sure how long he will play.
“I know I’m on the side of the hill, that’s for sure.”
What more does LeBron James have to prove?
One must also ask, what more does LeBron James stand to gain from playing a few more seasons?
James is already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (38,450 career points and counting) and has four NBA championships, among countless other accolades. If he were to retire today, many would argue that he's the greatest basketball player of all time. So should he really extend his career playing for a middling LA Lakers team?
As of now, the Lakers (30-33, 11th in the West) are on track to miss the playoffs for the second straight season. That would also mark their third time doing so in five seasons with James. So, James may have to ask himself if continuing to play hurts his legacy rather than enhancing it.
Likewise, James will have to think about just how much he wants to play with his sons. If the opportunity to do so comes at the expense of his health, he may be better off just supporting his sons from the sidelines.
Also Read: Can the LA Lakers make the NBA playoffs without LeBron James? Analyzing their chances with 19 games to go