EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday on Monday with gratitude for his basketball longevity and optimism about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers. And when James was asked how he’ll know when it’s finally time to retire, the top scorer in NBA history offered a frank assessment of his still-formidable skills.
“To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for about another – weird that I might say this – but about another five or seven years, if I wanted to,” James said. “But I’m not going to do that.” READ MORE: NBA: Miami Heat will not trade Jimmy Butler – Pat Riley NBA: Lakers, Warriors enter spotlight chasing bounce-back efforts NBA: Lakers send D’Angelo Russell to Nets Longest careers in NBA history James already has one of the longest careers in NBA history, but he knows it’s nearing an end.
He has repeatedly said he won’t overstay his welcome in basketball, yet that moment clearly hasn’t arrived: James is still a dominant force for the Pacific Division-leading Lakers, averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.
9 rebounds this season. “It’s kind of laughable, really, to know where I am, to see where I am still, playing the game at a high level,” James said. “Still being such a young man, but old in the scheme of how many years I’ve got in this profession.
(I) just think back to when I came into the league. That’s like the first thing I thought about. You came in as.