EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The last time LeBron James officially spoke to reporters, he hinted at retirement at the end of his press conference before heading into a suddenly uncertain offseason.
133 days later on Monday, at the Los Angeles Lakers’ media day before the 2023-24 season, James finally talked about the reasons for his return for his 21st season.
“I feel like I still have a lot to give,” James said matter-of-factly.
James, who turns 39 in December, added that he decided to return after weeks of self-reflection and discussions with his family, as well as watching his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, play basketball this summer.
James said Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during USC basketball practice in July but is “doing very well” and underwent successful surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. James said he would dedicate his season to Bronny. .
“He has begun the rehab process to get back on the court this season with his teammates and USC,” James said. “His surgery was successful, but he is continuing to improve. This summer has been an absolute whirlwind and a lot of emotions for our family. But the best thing we have is each other. We have supported each other through this whole process and given Brownie Power, we’re excited to see where he is today and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.”
As for his future, James, who has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, said he is not ready to commit to a basketball career after this season.
“I don’t know,” James said in response to a question about whether this could be his last season. “I have no idea.”
When asked to elaborate on that answer, James shrugged and shook his head.
“No, I can’t because I don’t know,” James said. “I’m happy right now. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to the start of training camp tomorrow. But I don’t know what the end of the road looks like and I don’t know what the end of the season looks like. “I don’t know. “
James has been strongly interested in playing for the U.S. men’s Olympic team again and has been recruiting other stars, but he also won’t commit to the 2024 Olympics.
“I’m definitely interested,” James said. “We’ll see what happens. But as far as the physical toll, I don’t know, we’ll see how I feel at the end of the season. But looking at the players we have here, I can immediately think of ways I can fill that roster. , I don’t think it’s going to take too much of a toll physically. I don’t have to do too much. I mean, rebound a little, pass a little, defend, block shots, you know. But we’ll see. “We’ll See what happens. “
deeper
‘We’ve reestablished our competitive DNA’: Lakers embrace expectations after productive summer
James proved last season that he can still perform at an elite level, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in the regular season. But James suffered a serious injury for the third straight season and fourth time in five seasons in Los Angeles, tearing a tendon in his right foot in late February. James missed 111 games due to injury in his five seasons with the Lakers, a stark contrast to the 71 games he missed due to injury in his first 15 seasons in the NBA.
After multiple consultations, including with the man he dubbed “LeBron on his feet,” James returned four weeks later with eight games remaining in the regular season and helped the Lakers earn the seventh seed. James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reeves and renewed depth at the trade deadline helped the Lakers defeat the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games. But the Lakers got caught up in the heat, watching the Denver Nuggets sweep Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals to win their first championship.
In Game 4 of the series, James posted a nearly 40-point triple-double — 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists — but despite the tremendous effort, it wasn’t enough. He said it got him thinking about his basketball future.
“At that moment, I didn’t know if I had anything left,” James said. “I’m exhausted. I’m tired. Mentally, I’m in so many different places. That’s his comment. Or that sentence. Because that’s how I feel at the moment. But I’m happy to be back again and helping This team, hopefully we can get this team to the Finals. That’s the goal.”
James did not disclose whether he had surgery on his foot this summer, continuing comments he made when he returned near the end of the 2022-23 regular season, when James said: “If I happened to be in season, you guys wouldn’t know.” I won’t be talking to you during the season and by the time next season starts I’ll be fine and ready to go. ” He did make it clear, however, that treating his foot is his top basketball priority this offseason.
“We spent a lot of time this summer rehabbing it and getting it back to where it needs to be,” James said. “But my foot responded really well in offseason workouts. Looking forward to seeing it in training camp and all season long.” The reaction going into the regular season. It was great to see where I was today.”
The Lakers plan to manage James’ minutes and workload more than they have in previous seasons. Lakers head coach Davin Hamm said last week that the team’s goal is to be more efficient through James’ “minutes per game, big picture, monthly, different parts of the calendar.”
As simplistic as it sounds, the Lakers’ championship aspirations will likely hinge on James’ health and ability to continue to perform as a top-10 player. James agreeing to come back for his 21st season essentially confirms that he believes he can do it.
Although James’ age is starting to show – James’ trademark short hair is turning gray and now looks like peppercorns – he remains confident he has at least one more season left.
“I feel different,” James said. “I’m not a 21-year-old, that’s for sure. It feels a little different every day when I get up. But as far as my energy level goes, I feel pretty good.”
(Top photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)