LeBron James’ mic drop over his play hints at when he’ll retire
The Los Angeles Lakers going into the All-Star break with a win after beating the Dallas Mavericks, and it was LeBron James who led the team. James finished the game with a triple-double of 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and became the oldest player in NBA history to record those stats.
Almost every week, James looks like he has so much left in the tank, and people always want to know when he will actually hang up his jersey. For him it is more about when he will lose his love for the process before he loses his skill, because he thinks the two go hand in hand.
“My game isn’t going anywhere,” James said, via Dave McMenamin . “It’s all other things, so many other factors that go into how long I play the game. I don’t think my game will ever suffer if I decide to continue, however much that may be. I just think it has to be (my mind): How long can I stay in love with the process?”
“If I can’t continue to stay in love with the process, if (my mind) goes, then my body goes. And when my body goes, then it’s a wrap.”
It took James a while to come around early in the season after dealing with sciatica, but once he started to get into a groove, he found himself. At this point, it’s hard to say when he’ll really lose his love for the game, because he’s still preparing like he did 10 or 20 years ago.
He may not have the athleticism he once possessed, but he still knows the game to its core, where he can make things happen for him and his teammates.
This upcoming break will be big for him and should keep him fresh for the second half of the season.
2026-02-13 14:38:00
