NBA’s LeBron James dismisses retirement speculation “I still have a lot to play for”

Highest active star averaged at least 20 points in 20 consecutive NBA seasons.

National Basketball Association (NBA) star LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has dismissed rumors of his retirement.

James won the “Most Valuable Player” category at the 2023 ESPY Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday (Jan. 13).

In February, midway through the 2022-2023 season, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He has 38,652 career points in the regular season and is on pace to become the first player in history to reach 40,000 points.

His retirement speculation began after the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals last season. At the time, James was vague about retirement, saying he would have to “think about it.” Some local media speculated about retirement.

However, James said at the ceremony, “The moment I retire will be when I can’t give it my all on the court. Fortunately, today is not that day,” he said.

“I don’t care how many more points I can score or what I can do on the court. It’s about whether I can continue to play basketball without cheating myself,” he said, adding, “I still have a lot to play for. There’s a lot left.”

James joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft and quickly established himself as a franchise icon.

From his rookie season to last season, he averaged at least 20 points in the regular season in all 20 seasons. His career averages are 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

He has reached the top of the NBA four times in his career and won the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award four times. He also won the regular season MVP four times.

He has also been named an All-Star 19 times, 고스톱 won three All-Star MVP awards, and won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA.