Not so long ago, NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fans alike got worried after hearing LeBron James contemplating his future.
The 20-year-old veteran seemingly hinted at retiring from the NBA, although some thought it was just a PR stunt to drive the narrative away from being swept by the Denver Nuggets.
Most analysts speculated and explained why it was quite tough to think James was going to retire, and he did talk as if he was going to be on the team next season, reacting to the Lakers’ offseason signings and whatnot.
However, it wasn’t until last night that he actually let everybody know that he’s not done in this league, stating that he’ll retire when he feels like he’s cheating the game and not giving it everything he’s got.
Needless to say, that prompted plenty of reactions on social media.
Will the cringe ever end?
— Clarence Beeks, Jr. (@ClarenceBeeksJr) July 13, 2023
Dude loves making it bout himself- he knew he wasn’t gonna retire but wanted to create this storyline for the whole offseason
— SunsIllustrated (@SunsIllustrated) July 13, 2023
The game will never be the same when Bron retires
— HBA (@HBAcrypto) July 13, 2023
LeBron gonna make it seem like he made up this line all by himself and didn’t take it from a movie 😭
— Blake ☕️ (@blakehparker) July 13, 2023
HIM… corny… but HIM
— BBC Sports Cards (@bbcsportscards) July 13, 2023
Truth be told, it always seemed quite unlikely that LeBron would retire right now, and not just because of the sweep.
Not many players are able to walk away on their own terms or retire as champions, but James definitely had — and still has — a legit chance to do so.
Moreover, retiring now would’ve kept him from making another $100 million, and above all that, from playing with his firstborn Bronny, who’s eligible to enter the league in his final season.
But then again, nothing is official until they make it official, so props to James for setting the record straight and letting everybody know that he’s not going away any time soon.
