{"id":266373,"date":"2025-09-30T11:28:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T11:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/266373\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T11:28:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T11:28:11","slug":"lebron-eyes-23rd-nba-season-retirement-still-distant-thought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/266373\/","title":{"rendered":"LeBron eyes 23rd NBA season, retirement still distant thought"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>LeBron James, the NBA\u2019s all-time leading scorer, says he has no plans to retire yet, as he steps into uncharted territory: becoming the first player in league history to play a 23rd season.<\/p>\n<p>At 40, turning 41 this December, James is approaching the twilight of a glittering career spanning three decades, yet his passion for the game and drive to compete remain undimmed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m excited about today,&#8221; James told reporters Monday during Lakers media day. &#8220;I&#8217;m excited about the opportunity to play the game that I love for another season. Whatever the journey lays out this year, I&#8217;m super-invested because I don&#8217;t know when the end is. It&#8217;s a lot sooner than later.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Love of the game<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>James averaged 24.4 points per game last season and insists that his love for basketball, combined with a relentless commitment to his physical preparation, keeps him performing at an elite level.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The thing still pushing me is the fact that my love for the game is still high and the love of the process is even higher,&#8221; James said. &#8220;Age is kind of just a number. Not many guys at my age, especially going into Year 23, can play at this level. I try not to take it for granted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He credits his motivation not only to personal goals but also to the prospect of playing alongside rising superstar Luka Doncic. Last season\u2019s mid-year trade shook the NBA and James is eager for a full training camp with the Slovenian guard, saying the opportunity to build chemistry from day one is &#8220;super motivating.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Revamped Lakers roster<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Lakers\u2019 roster enters the new season stronger, with veterans Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton joining James and Doncic. The 17-time NBA champions are aiming for a deeper playoff run after last year\u2019s first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m excited about getting to work and seeing what we can do,&#8221; James said. &#8220;Playing alongside Luka every night, seeing the synergy, it pushes me to be the best I can for him. We\u2019re going to bounce off each other all season.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Doncic echoed the sentiment, adding that a full pre-season with James and the Lakers squad would help the team become a more consistent and formidable force.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Family and legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>James also values the chance to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny, a backup point guard for the Lakers, while acknowledging that aligning the timelines of both his sons in the NBA remains uncertain.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not waiting on Bryce,&#8221; James said with a smile, referring to his younger son, who will be a freshman at the University of Arizona this fall. &#8220;He has his own timeline. I have mine. We\u2019ll see if they align.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>James\u2019 focus remains firmly on basketball and the pursuit of a championship. Despite a career studded with four NBA titles and innumerable individual accolades, he says there is still more to prove, not only to the league but to himself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Health, preparation and performance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even in his third decade, James remains in peak physical condition. Last season, he played 70 games, staying largely healthy while averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.<\/p>\n<p>His streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA selections continues, a testament to his consistency and work ethic.<\/p>\n<p>Offseason improvements include refining his basketball skills and even spending time on his golf game, highlighting a well-rounded approach to fitness and focus.<\/p>\n<p>James will make history when he takes the court Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond personal milestones, his eyes are on team success, seeking to turn the Lakers into a title contender alongside a retooled roster.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I try to give the game as much as I can and inspire whoever I can,&#8221; James said. &#8220;Age is just a number, but the opportunity to compete at a high level in Year 23 is something special. I try not to take it for granted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>                    <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JN9LXf.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n                    The Daily Sabah Newsletter\n                <\/p>\n<p>\n                    Keep up to date with what\u2019s happening in Turkey,<br \/>\n                    it\u2019s region and the world.\n                <\/p>\n<p>                    SIGN ME UP\n                <\/p>\n<p>\n                    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.<br \/>\n                    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.\n                <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LeBron James, the NBA\u2019s all-time leading scorer, says he has no plans to retire yet, as he steps&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":266374,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[1339,3140,3363,3141,3365,1260,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-266373","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-golden-state-warriors","10":"tag-lebron-james","11":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","12":"tag-luka-doncic","13":"tag-nba","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115293016309731850","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}