LeBron James never seriously considered retirement, even at the end of the Western Conference Finals.
James, 38, said Monday he is committed to winning a championship with the team Los Angeles Lakers. In the 2022-23 season, he played 55 regular season games, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
“I felt like I had a lot more to give — and at that moment, I didn’t,” James said of his post-retirement hints. lakers They were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals in May. “At that moment, I didn’t. I was exhausted. I was tired. Mentally, I was in so many different places.
“That’s how I feel at the moment. But I’m excited to be back for another season and hopefully lead this team to the promised land. That’s the goal.”
James said he tore a tendon in his foot during the final month of the regular season and the playoffs. He said that through rest and strength training, he is fully healthy in his sixth season with the team. lakers and ranks 21st in the NBA.
After the Finals, James added motivation: the health of his son Bronny. Bronny James, a freshman out of Southern California and one of the top prospects in college basketball, was hospitalized with a heart condition on July 24 and did not practice again with the Trojans. LeBron James’ eldest son was diagnosed with “anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart disease” in August.
“Because of the events that happened this summer, I’m going to dedicate this season to Bronny. It just puts everything in perspective, no matter what’s going on at that point in your life, the only thing that matters is your family,” LeBron James said. “Looking at what he’s had to go through, what he’s been through the past few months, it’s just a lot. I can only imagine what it must be like for him. Because this is so important to me. This is so important to us. It’s so important to my family.”
“But that guy up there really gives us a lot of power, and you give Bronny a lot of power to bounce back. If he walked in the door right now, you wouldn’t even know he has what he has because of how good his moves are , how dynamic he is. It’s a beautiful thing to be in the position he is in today.”
James was selected to the All-Star 19 times, won the league MVP four times, and won the championship four times. He became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader with 38,652 points.
—Scene-level media