Lakers’ LeBron James Reverses Course on Retirement, Details Timeline

The Los Angeles Lakers took down the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night to improve their record to 7-4 in the new season. They were led by star forward LeBron James as he posted his third consecutive triple-double.

James was everywhere for Los Angeles against the Grizzlies, helping them get a comeback win. His final stat line had him scoring 35 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, dishing out 14 assists, and swiping one steal.

After the game, the future NBA Hall-of-Famer once again discussed some plans for his eventual retirement.

“I’m not gonna play that much longer, to be completely honest…I’m not playing until the wheels fall off.”

James has hinted at retirement in each of the last few offseasons and the thought clearly has weighed on him. The King is playing in year 22 of his NBA career and still doing so at an extremely high level.

We have never seen a player perform at this level and James will be turning 40 years old next month. Somehow James has been able to stay in this great of shape and dominate the game despite his advanced basketball age.

During the year, he has been averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. His play on the court has allowed the Lakers to thrive and he has shown no signs of slowing down.

However, Father Time comes for everyone and James likely only has another one or two years left of playing in the NBA. This past offseason, he signed a two-year extension to remain in Los Angeles and it seems likely that he will honor that contract out.

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James remains one of the better players in the entire association and still has something to play for as he goes for another title. It will be challenging for the Lakers to truly compete as the rest of the NBA is absolutely loaded in terms of talent.

But if James can continue to stay healthy and play at this high of level, Los Angeles will have a chance. Alongside co-star Anthony Davis, James gives the Lakers some real firepower and legitimacy on the court every time out.

Three straight triple-doubles are tough for any star to do but just shows the level of dominance that James still can accomplish in the NBA.

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