LeBron James flirts with farewell tour & retirement speculation during All-Star Weekend
NBALos Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James’ rapidly advancing age and farewell tour comments have raised eyebrows over whether the 20-time All-Star will call it a career come the season’s end.
LeBron James is in the midst of another season worthy of All-NBA honors for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 39-year-old face of the NBA is playing at great heights despite his advanced age. Though, with time undefeated against all who contend with it, James’ possible retirement has risen to the front of many minds in NBA circles.
The four-time champion has also made waves in recent weeks over reports surmising that he could depart from LA when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this Summer and team up with his son Bronny on another team.
With his name never failing to generate buzz for even the most minute occurrences in his life on and off the court, James bought into the uncertainty of his future as he flirted with the thought of a farewell tour during this past All-Star Weekend.
LeBron James has pondered his inevitable farewell tour
James didn’t deny the thought of a send-off on his way out of the Association when that time comes. However, he did deflect any form of self-aggrandizement and chest-beating in his pre-All-Star Game press conference as The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi relayed on X/Twitter:
“I got asked this question a couple days ago. Will you kind of take this farewell tour, or will you kind of just, Tim Duncan it? I’m 50-50.” James shrugged before going into his feelings toward receiving glorification. “I’ve never been that great at accepting, like, praise.”
In true James fashion, he is leaving the door open for a city-to-city farewell tour that’ll give fans the moment to bask in the finality of his departure. That departure, as he stated, is not set in stone, and at the rate he’s playing, could come years in the future.
James’ resume leaves no gray area regarding the certainty of a farewell tour showing him the way out of the league he helped grow for the last 21 seasons.
The St. Vincent, St. Mary’s product may even get multiple farewell tours from his previous teams in the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Moreso, the NBA will likely honor James throughout the league as they did Bill Russell, Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant before him.
What we do know is that James wants to share the floor with Bronny. Once that happens, then his retirement will be liable to happen at any time.
