LeBron James sounds like he’s considering retirement after Game 4 loss

LeBron James couldn’t do capable to clasp disconnected nan Nuggets aliases debar a sweep. Now he’s admitting status could beryllium connected nan table.

For 1 half, astatine least, LeBron James looked for illustration LeBron James again.

At 38 years aged these person been, by far, the slightest productive playoffs of LeBron’s career — still awesome but obscurity adjacent his ain lofty standards. Going into Game 4 against nan Nuggets, he was averaging 23.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per crippled but was astatine aliases adjacent profession lows successful postseason points, usage and assistance rate. The supporting formed and nan defense had been nan communicative successful getting nan Lakers to nan Western Conference Finals, but LeBron’s deficiency of domination formed a looming protector complete nan first 3 games against Denver, each Lakers’ losses.

Facing elimination, LeBron came retired and reminded america what he was tin of, scoring 31 first-half points successful Game 4, helping nan Lakers build a 15-point lead. But it seemed that was each nan greatness he could muster.

In nan 2nd half, he looked for illustration a 38-year-old awesome successful his 20th season, moving connected fumes. He had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists but changeable 4-of-12 from nan field, missing 2 attempts astatine a game-tying changeable successful nan last 30 seconds arsenic nan Nuggets completed nan comeback and nan sweep.

Will LeBron James really see retirement?

After nan game, LeBron addressed what would travel adjacent for him and intelligibly put a imaginable status connected nan table.

If that wasn’t clear enough, ESPN followed up pinch LeBron aft nan property convention and he had this to say:

When you opportunity you sewage to deliberation astir stuff, what thread should we beryllium pulling connected that?

“If I want to proceed to play,” James said.

As successful adjacent year?

“Yeah.”

You would locomotion away?

“I sewage to deliberation astir it.”

LeBron has 2 much years connected his woody pinch nan Lakers, for astir $97 cardinal combined. However, nan 2nd twelvemonth is simply a subordinate action and he is free to discontinue astatine immoderate time, sloppy of his contract. He suffered done a assortment of injuries this season, appearing successful conscionable 55 games, and his wellness is intelligibly taking a toll. Since joining nan Lakers 5 seasons ago, he’s appeared successful conscionable 278 of a imaginable 390 regular play games.

The Lakers person a batch of big decisions to make astir their supporting formed this offseason and will apt hold for clarity from James earlier making decisions connected free agents for illustration D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

Check retired The Step Back for much news, analysis, sentiment and unsocial hoops coverage. Don’t hide to travel america connected Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our regular email newsletter, The Whiteboard.