LeBron James May Have Dropped Hint About Lakers’ Future With Injury Comments

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to have a busy offseason, but the biggest question lingering over the franchise is the future of LeBron James. He’s fresh off another All-NBA season, but he’s 40 and has already given 22 years to the NBA.

If his decision is based on his ability to be a productive player, James might have another five seasons left in the tank. However, there’s a mental toll that comes with being a professional athlete, which can get harder the older they get.

Plus, James dealt with a serious knee injury at the end of the season, and he hasn’t been able to stay as healthy in his older years. That said, it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to hang it up yet.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, James spoke about his knee injury and how recovery is coming along.

“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100 percent as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James told the AP.

The fact that James is mentioning training camp is interesting. It’s clearly on his mind, which would suggest he’s not planning to retire yet. Anything can happen, but James isn’t talking like a player who is planning to retire.

James Continues to Get Support From Family

James is a very big family man, so if they wanted him to stop playing to spend more time with them, he’d likely do it. However, he’s already playing with his son Bronny James, and might have a chance to play with his other son Bryce, if he plays a couple more years.

According to James, his family has been supportive of him continuing his career and wants him to keep playing as long as it makes him happy.

“They’re like ‘Dad, continue on your dream. This is your dream. Continue on your focus. You’ve been here for us this whole time,’” James said. “When you have that type of support… it makes it a lot easier.”

James Keeping an Open Mind

Without pressure from the family to retire, it’s possible that James will want to keep playing for a long time. Unfortunately, at some point, his body will tell him he has to retire.

Retirement has been on his mind in recent years, but he’s waiting until he knows it’s time to walk away.

“At this point of my career, you think about when the end is. That’s human nature,” James said. “You think: Is it this year? Or next year? Those thoughts always creep into your mind at this point of the journey. But I have not given it a specific timetable, date. I’m seeing how my body and family reacts, too.”

James is set to make over $50 million next season just for playing basketball, so it’s easy to see why he’s not too eager to retire. A lot of older players have to start playing for less money, but that hasn’t been the case for James yet.