James confirms that he will return for his season 21
James would openly wish to retire after the Lakers’ playoff sweep of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, but would become the sixth player in NBA history to play in his 21st or older season, joining Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish, Kevin Willis and Vince Carter, who holds the record with 22.
“I don’t care how many more points I score or what I can or can’t do on the court,” James said after accepting the ESPY award for best record performance for passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time points leader. . “The real question for me is: Can I play without disrespecting the game? The day I can’t give it my all on the court is the day I’m done. Lucky for you, that day isn’t today.”
James received the award from his wife, Savannah, who was accompanied by her three children: Bronny, 18, Bryce, 16, and Zhuri, 8.
“Please welcome to the stage, the GOAT, respectfully, LeBron James,” Savannah said.
James, who will turn 39 in December, used the occasion to reflect on how his children have fueled his continuing passion for basketball.
Bronny Jr. will be a freshman on the USC men’s basketball team in the fall. Bryce transferred to Campbell Hall High School, where he will play his junior season. James was recently part of Bryce’s AAU team, Strive For Greatness, at the Peach Jam tournament in South Carolina.
“Tonight, I want to use this moment to say something that he’s said a million times and I’ll never get tired of saying it: I love this game. I love the game of basketball,” James said. “There’s a video going around the internet of me coaching Bryce’s team last weekend, and it’s actually quite funny. I saw a lot of posts with people saying, ‘LeBron brings the energy to a high school AAU game. The same way you would with an Endgame.
“In my 20 years of playing this game and all the years before, I have never, ever disrespected the game, and I will never take it for granted.”
Joined by his former teammates Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on Wednesday night, James detailed his dedication to the sport that has brought him to the national spotlight for more than two decades.
“Every time I step foot on the court, whether it’s coaching my guys or playing, I want to give it my all. I do it for myself,” James said. “I’m doing it for some of my teammates that I’ve had before and now. And I’m doing it for all the greats that came before me. And most importantly, I’m doing it for the fans, the fans of the game.
“Listen, you may love me, and I know some of you hate me, too, but all you’re going to do is respect me and appreciate the way I dedicate myself to the game and what I’ve given to this game.”
James explained what he expected when, after scoring 40 points and playing all 48 minutes in the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Nuggets, he told ESPN that he had to think, “Do I want to keep playing?”
“When the season ended, I said I wasn’t sure if I was going to play anymore,” James said. “And I know many experts told you what I said, but now I’m here speaking for myself. At that point, I wonder if I can still play without missing the game, can I still give my all for the game? The truth is that I I’ve been asking that question at the end of the season for a couple of years. I just never spoke openly about it.”
