Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka hopes superstar small forward LeBron James will be back for the 2023-24 NBA season.
James told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Dave McMenamin of ESPN after the Lakers lost Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets that he might retire this summer, but Pelinka is holding out hope that “The King” will continue to play.
“We all know that (James) speaks for himself, and we’ll look forward to those conversations when the time is right,” Pelinka said. “LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who has ever played. When you do that, you earn a right to decide whether you’re going to give more. … Obviously, our hope would be that his career continues, but we want to give him the time to have that inflection point and support him along the way.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
James is 38 years old. He has a torn tendon in his right foot, an injury he may need to get surgery on this summer. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP decided not to have surgery in February despite two doctors telling him he should have gone under the knife.
“When there’s any injury, you seek multiple medical opinions, and there were some that doubted whether he could play again this season,” Pelinka said. “For him to end the season playing virtually 48 minutes and posting a virtual 40-point triple-double as a player in the 20th year of his NBA career is staggering. … Clearly he’s got the right recipe, because to go from doctor opinions saying your season may be over to ending it the way he did last night is breathtaking.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers last summer. The 19-time All-Star and NBA legend has a player option for the 2024-25 season.
LeBron is first all-time in points, fourth in assists, ninth in steals, fourth in triple-doubles, third in player efficiency rating, sixth in points per game, and second in win shares. He’s the only player in NBA history to rank top-10 all-time in both points and assists.
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