I've always kind of wondered why media people are so obsessed with athlete retirements. Regardless of your age, if you can play you can still play. And LeBron James, who currently holds season averages of 27.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game this year at 33-years-old, can still play. So it's kind of weird (and yet, expected) for him to be asked about his career ending, which was a subject that recently came up.
If you're a LeBron fan I would say it's a case of good news and bad news. And if you're not a LeBron fan then...I guess that same thing would also still be true. I say that because LeBron stated that he does not see the end of his career at the moment, saying "I’ve got too many sneakers to sell still." But he did admit that his kids will ultimately play a role in the decision to finally hang up his sneakers.
"The only thing is with my kids getting older, that’s the only thing that kind of stops me from going as long as I’d like to," he said. "I’ve got a 13-year-old son now (LeBron Jr.). He’s in the seventh grade. He’s a damn good basket player, too. On this road trip, I’ve already missed four of his games. That’s the thing that kind of sucks.
“I’ve got a 10-year-old boy (Bryce), 3-year-old girl (Zhuri). Daddy side kicks in sometimes. That will be a deciding factor in how long I want to play."
According to USA TODAY Sports, he remarked that he watches both his sons' games on video, but that that's obviously not the same as being there in person. In addition to that, he said that he doesn't feel like a 33-year-old who's currently halfway through his 15th season in the league. Cue the proponents who correctly believe age is just a number, and you're only as old as you feel.
"Right now, I feel great. I don’t feel 33," he added. "I don’t feel like I’ve been to (seven) straight finals in a row. I don’t feel like I came in at 18 and I’ve played 79-80 percent of games. Just keep it going.
“I’ve already went further than I thought I would go. Every thing after this point is extra credit. Fifteen years. I don’t know, I’ve been in this spotlight for half of my years. I’m 33 now. This thing started when I was 15. 18 years I’ve been in this light. I’ve already exceeded everything I’ve dreamed about. At this point, I’m just adding crazy toppings on the cake like my daughter would do. Throw all kinds of stuff on the cake and whatever happens happens."
As you can see in the clip above, he also added that he'd know when the right time to "retire" was, just like he knew the right time to pop the question to his wife.
"I don’t know until you make that decision. The game will let you know when it’s over with,” he said. "Retirement for me is like getting engaged. I didn’t know if I was ready or not. I just felt it was the time. Timing was right. The vibe was right. Did I know I was ready for marriage? I don’t know. I never had nobody in my family get married before. I never experienced it.
“I definitely never had nobody in my family play in the NBA and retire. So, we’ll see. We’ll see."
