(Los Angeles) NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said he’s still driven by a love of the game and his retirement had yet to come at age 38 Wednesday night at Los Angeles at an awards show.

“I don’t care how many more points I’m going to score and what I’m still capable of doing on the field,” LeBron James said after receiving an award at the ESPY Awards, an event created by the group. ESPN audiovisual.

“The real question for me is, can I still play without cheating? The day when I could no longer give anything on the pitch will spell the end of my career. You guys are in luck, that day isn’t today,” added James, honored for becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February, ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The four-time NBA champion, who turns 39 in December, has ended speculation about a possible retirement. At the end of May, after the elimination of the Lakers in the Western Conference final by Denver (4-0), he had cast doubt on his future as a player.

“We’ll see what happens…I don’t know.” When it comes to basketball, I have a lot to think about,” he said at the time.

“When the season ended, I had actually hinted that I wasn’t sure about continuing, I wondered, as I’ve wondered for a year or two,” he said. Wednesday.

James, committed to the Lakers until 2025, brushed aside the idea that he was still playing to one day evolve with one or both of his sons. His 18-year-old son Bronny will play for the Southern California varsity team in the NCAA championship next season, and could be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.

But coaching his sons helps keep his enthusiasm going, he said. “You know what still motivates me every year? It is to observe and train my sons and their teams,” he said.

“Seeing my kids (play) brings me back to why I play…which is the pure love of this beautiful game,” he explained. “And, yes, I still have things left to give.” Many things “.