LeBron James, during a game four moment against the Denver Nuggets. Associated Press / LaPresse (APS)
LeBron James wanted to talk about the Lakers elimination. But journalists wanted to talk about the future in the first press conference after defeating the Denver Nuggets. of your future. The sports press witnessed a great moment of reflection from one of the NBA’s legends. “Let’s see what happens next. I don’t know it. I have a lot to think about to be honest about what it means for me to keep playing basketball,” admitted the star, who set the all-time goal record this year, at the end of the performance. The player’s words have caused a dust storm in Los Angeles. Does James mean retirement could be your next step?
The journalists asked him to rate his 20th season in the league. James suffered his third sweep in a playoff series on Monday. The first time he lost four straight games was when he wore the Cleveland jersey in the 2007 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. The second against Golden State in 2018. “I think I can think about my career when it’s over. I’ll leave that to you for now,” LeBron replied.
The Lakers star wanted to talk about Nikola Jokic and the machine that just overpowered her. “I knew before the series even started that we were going to face a beast… Everyone talks about his stats, but I think few people talk about his mental capacity for the games. It’s normal that little is said about it because not everyone understands it. I do. “He’s a special player,” he added.
At 38, LeBron seemed to shift gears when asked about Carmelo Anthony. The veteran forward chose the same day the Western Conference was formed to announce his retirement from the courts. “It leaves me with a bittersweet taste. “He’s one of my best friends in the league even before we got there,” said James, who said he already knew about the announcement because he was the one who took the video of the Knicks star saying goodbye has.
Melo turns 39 on Monday and was one of the few NBA players drafted in 2003. James is now the only representative of this generation. And the flag with an enviable physical performance. Anthony played an average of 26 minutes last season. This Monday, the Lakers star played 47:56 of the 48 minutes of the game. He scored 40 points in his last 10 games, which was his best performance. Despite this, he was eliminated.
So much talk about the ending that James concluded by saying that he didn’t enjoy not reaching the finale. “I can’t say I’m playing for anything other than championships at this point in my career,” he admitted. “But we’ll see, we’ll see. Let’s see what happens later. I don’t know it. To be honest I have to think a lot about what it’s like for me to continue playing basketball. “I have a lot to think about,” James said in his final statements of the season.
These words and, above all, doubts have started the rumor mill of American sports. The player still has a two-year contract with the Los Angeles team, worth around 97.1 million dollars. In February, he said he wouldn’t leave the field until he had a chance to play in the NBA alongside his eldest son, Bronny, who signed with the University of Southern California collegiate team earlier this year.
This Tuesday, Lakers manager Rob Pelinka and team coach Darvin Ham attempted to downplay LeBron’s statements. “He gave basketball more than many others and when you achieve that, you have the right to decide whether to contribute more,” said Pelinka, the architect of the team that reached the conference finals thanks to player signings. The infusion of new blood sent a team that started with two wins and ten losses aspirations for the title. Darvin Ham, who finished his first year as head coach, added that the star “has the right to do what he’s most comfortable with.” Pelinka and Ham will be speaking to James in the coming days.
Some analysts have interpreted LeBron’s words as a coded message to management. Time is running out as he searches for his fifth ring. Pelinka and Ham must build a squad that will help him and Anthony Davis claim a new trophy. The team must take steps to keep players who worked in the postseason, such as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, in the roster. Both announced on Tuesday that they want to stay in Los Angeles, but their performance in the upcoming games now makes them attractive to other teams. At LeBron, urgency meets hunger to win.
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