LeBron James sets timeline on potential NBA retirement, says he won’t play ‘until the wheels fall off’

On By Littum



CNN
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LeBron James found another way to make history Wednesday night, setting the record for oldest player to record three consecutive triple-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-123.

After the game, the NBA superstar put a timeline on his potential retirement.

“I’m not going to play that much anymore, to be honest,” James told reporters Wednesday.

“I don’t know how many years it is. If it’s a year or two years, whatever the case may be.

“I said the other night, I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not going to be that guy. I’m not going to be that guy that disrespects the game because I just want to be out on the floor. That’s not going to be me,” said he after the victory.

James, who turns 40 next month, is still one of the best players in the league.

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Lebron James and son Bronny will make NBA history

He dropped 35 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds against the Grizzlies to add to his triple-doubles against the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors in the previous two games.

That means the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has broken his own record as the oldest player to accomplish the feat, which he set in November 2019 when he was 34 years old.

Last month, James and his oldest son, Bronny, became the first father-son duo to appear together in an NBA game.

In addition to playing with his oldest son, he has previously indicated that he would still like to play in the NBA if his other son, Bryce, a high school senior, had a chance to play in the league.

When asked about the possibility of still playing the next few years and a chance to play at the same time as his youngest son, he told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard in 2022: “So, it’s all up to my body, but yet more importantly, my mind. If my mind can stay sharp and motivated, then the sky is not the limit for me. But we’ll see.”

Ahead of the Lakers’ Oct. 30 game against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, James was again asked about holding out to play with his youngest son.

“I don’t know,” James told cleveland.com. “We’ll see. That would be pretty cool. It’s about my mind and then seeing how my body reacts over the next couple of years.”

Despite his age, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists in 11 games played this season. The Lakers are currently 7-4 on the season.

James will look for his fourth straight triple-double when the Lakers open their Emirates NBA Cup slate on Friday, traveling to San Antonio to take on Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.