LeBron James turned 40 on Sunday December 29. An eternity for a professional basketball player, especially at the level he displays and after such a rich and regular career. Between adaptation to his body, the arrival of his son in his team and the difficult choice of whether or not to retire at the end of the season, the “King” is faced with a choice that could turn a page in the history of this sport.
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Best scorer in NBA history, only player to post a counter of more than 10,000 points, 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds, 40 times elected player of the month (preceded by Kobe Bryant with “only” 17 nominations). .. LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday on Sunday and trails behind him at least as many records that build his legend and make him one of the best players of all time. If not the best, according to some… the debate will probably remain open forever.
What is there left for him to find? Even before LeBron James became a legacy for the sport, his own descendants have already joined him in Lakers colors. “Bronny” James (short for LeBron James Junior), not really blessed with talent by the gods of the orange ball, but drafted by the Lakers this season as a gift for his father, arrived in California like a cherry on the cake of the latter’s career. What record to seek after such a symbolic accomplishment? That of the greatest number of matches played, which he could beat if he returns next season?
The start of a decline?
Not sure if that actually makes sense. What is important is the search for a start at the right time, not to overdo the season. A question that arises when a legend such as the new forty-year-old is now averaging 23.6 points per game after two months of regular season in the NBA. That is 3.6 less than his career average and above all the first year with less than 25 points since his very first season on the elite courts. The average remains dizzying for a bunch of players, 483 of those playing in the NBA this season to be precise, and is due to some adjustments made by LeBron James over the last few years.
Also readLeBron, Djokovic, Robert-Michon: how do they stay at the top of their sport as they age?
If the man is above all an extraordinary athlete – not sure that this obsessive about maintaining his body does not gorge himself on cake to celebrate his fourth decade – he still had to evolve his palette to stay at the highest level. Fewer highlight dunks, more baskets near the circle with a finesse finish, less decisive for your team and less physically involved in your matches… The recipe seems obvious, but you still have to convince yourself to apply it when you have been among the best in the world for so long.
A contract until 2026
The fact remains that the “King” has still not planned his retirement. Not that he needs to calculate the amount of his savings, with a two-year contract signed in July with the Lakers at $100 million, the second season of which remains at his discretion. This is precisely where the mystery lies, will it stop, will it not stop? The course of the Los Angeles franchise and the form of its star – whose rumors started by one of his close friends in 2016 say that he spends around 1.5 million euros per year to maintain his physical form, will probably be determining factors when making a choice.
Four times titled, LeBron James has not won a ring since 2020 and his success in the Orlando Covid bubble. The Lakers have since been disappointing in the regular season (7th in 2021, 11th in 2022 and 7th in 2023 and 2024), reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2023, but being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last spring. This season, after a good start, they fell back into line by suffering some humiliating defeats, in both play and attitude. Collective performances which in no way diminish the stature of a man who is already a legend even before he finishes his sport. Also perhaps because he already has one foot out, one foot in.
What if The Decision, was it now?
The proof is that we already know some people without post-career ambitions. LeBron James has not hidden his desire to become the owner of an NBA franchise, particularly in Las Vegas, in the cards to obtain a team in the event of an extension which would occur after the signing of a new TV rights agreement. He spoke to ESPN about this project as his “ ultimate goal », he who became the first billionaire basketball player while his career was still underway.
It’s been a long road, from the kid drafted first place in 2003, who made some bad youth choices like this show called The Decisionbroadcast on ESPN before the eyes of 10 million viewers in 2010, in which he announced that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, after failures in playoffs with Cleveland. An incomprehensible choice at the time, which earned him torrents of hatred from Cavaliers fans and the basketball world in general.
An episode that the Ohio native had plenty of time to forget with, among 1,000 other things, more than 57,000 minutes spent on the courts of the big league, a record and two championship titles gleaned under the colors from Miami who finally proved him right. The reason, precisely, is what could push the immense champion that he is to stop. But if reason always prevailed, we would not have imagined a man greatly exceeding 40,000 points in the NBA.