(Los Angeles) LeBron James began the final meeting of his 20th season with the most productive first half of his NBA playoff career.
He concluded it by having to think about his future, after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals.
James set a personal-best 31 points in the first half of Game 4 on Monday night, but missed two shots that could have tied the Lakers in the final minutes of the game. The Denver Nuggets took advantage of this lack of precision to slip away to a 113-111 victory, thereby ending the Californians’ season.
James, 38, finished the game with 40 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and immense frustration as the Lakers’ late season comeback came to a sudden halt with four straight losses . Even though the NBA leading scorer has indicated that he still considers himself a key part of the Lakers next season, the main interested party still does not know what the future will hold for him.
“We’ll see what happens next,” James said near the end of his post-game press conference. I don’t know. I don’t know. I have a lot to sort out, to be honest. I have to think, especially from a personal point of view, about my future in basketball. »
James is set to pocket $46.9 million next season with the Lakers, but he’s in control of his future after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history earlier. this season. He has so far expressed no stake in sticking to his current deal with Anthony Davis, and his level of play hasn’t dropped significantly in two decades in the NBA — even though his health , has bent, in particular at the level of a foot and its ankles.
“My availability, as well as my alertness, and many other things will come into play,” explained James. I have to be present on the floor, in the locker room, on the bus and on the plane, all that. It’s a challenge, that’s for sure. It was a very demanding season for me personally, but also for the team, and obviously we remember the beginning of our season (the Lakers started the campaign with a 2-10 record). It was cool, it was a great adventure. »
After failing to claim the title this season, James is obviously wondering if he wants to repeat this kind of season. One of the main obstacles preventing him from announcing his retirement from the sport is his absolute desire to play in the NBA with his son, Bronny, who will play at the University of Southern California this fall and who will not be able to make the league jump before fall 2024, at the earliest.
“I’ll probably think about my career when it’s over, I don’t know,” James said of his 20th season. The only thing that worries me is being there for my teammates, and I don’t like the fact that I was unable to play as much as I would have liked because of injuries. The only thing that interests me is to be present for my teammates. »
