LeBron James retirement rumors: Three reasons it’s extremely unlikely Lakers star will walk away from NBA

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LeBron James got the basketball world buzzing on Monday night after he seemingly hinted at the idea of retirement following the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. “I got a lot to think about,” James said after the game. “Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”  

The quote was kind of vague, but after the game it was confirmed that James is indeed considering retirement after 20 seasons in the NBA. At 38 years old, James could truly be thinking about hanging up his signature Nikes. However, him retiring at this point in time seems somewhat unlikely for three big reasons.

1. Financial implications 

Walking away from the game at this particular point in time would cost James a pretty penny in contract money. Last August, James agreed to a massive two-year, $97 million contract extension that hasn’t even kicked in yet. James is set to make nearly $47 million next season, per Sportrac, and his deal is set to be worth north of $50 million in 2024-25 if he picks up his player option. So, if he were to retire this offseason, he would lose the entirety of that recent extension. 

Not that James necessarily needs it, but nearly $100 million is a whole lot of money to leave on the table, and that’s not even including any additional money James could make on future contracts if he were to keep playing. Perhaps James’ comments regarding retirement were simply a way to put pressure on the Lakers to upgrade the roster over the offseason. We’ll find out in the coming months. In the meantime, James will have to mull over his options and decide if he’s ultimately willing to walk away from a whole lot of cash.    

2. Opportunity to play with Bronny

James has long maintained a deep desire to share a professional court with his son, Bronny, who will be a freshman at USC this upcoming season and will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft. 

“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” James said…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-retirement-rumors-three-reasons-its-extremely-unlikely-lakers-star-will-walk-away-from-nba/

Author : Michael Kaskey-Blomain

Publish date : 2023-05-24 21:22:53

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