LeBron James ends the controversy and confirms his unwillingness to retire

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James put an end to speculation about his future and confirmed his "intentions not to retire and his continued love for basketball."

Following his team's loss to the Denver Nuggets in the fourth game of the Western Conference Finals, James stirred up controversy during the post-game press conference when he said, referring to his future, "We'll see. We'll see what happens in the future. I don't know. I have a lot to think about, to be honest."

However, during the ESPY Awards ceremony on Wednesday, James dispelled these assumptions.

After receiving the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all-time leading scorer, James stated, "The number of points I score or what I can or cannot do on the court doesn't matter to me."

He continued, "The real question for me is: Can I play the game without cheating? The day I can't give my all on the court is the day I will stop. Luckily for you guys, that day is not today."

He added, "Throughout the twenty years I've played this game and all the years before that, I've never cheated the game, and I don't consider it a given."

James, who will turn 39 in December, denied rumors about his desire to continue playing in the league alongside his sons. His eldest son, Bronny James, will participate in college basketball next season with the University of Southern California, and he will be eligible to join the NBA in the 2024-2025 season.

James clarified the truth about his reaction after the loss to the Nuggets and did not deny that these questions had actually crossed his mind.

He said, "When the season ended, I said I wasn't sure if I would continue playing, and I know many experts analyzed what I said, but here I am now speaking for myself."

He continued, "In that moment, I asked myself if I could still play the game without cheating—can I give everything to the game? The truth is, I've been asking myself that question at the end of every season for a few years now. I've never publicly talked about it before."

 

AFP