El Segundo (United States) (AFP) – LeBron James said Monday he had not decided when to retire from basketball as he prepares to become the first player in NBA history to play a 23rd season in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar told reporters at a media day that he is “excited” by the prospect of another season in the league alongside Luka Doncic and a bolstered roster.
James will turn 41 in December and plans to savor every minute of the tail-end of a glittering career that has straddled three different decades. But the four-time NBA champion and all-time points scorer says he has no idea of when he will retire. “I’m excited about today, I’m excited about the opportunity to be able to play the game that I love for another season,” James told reporters. “Whatever the journey lays out this year, I’m super-invested because I don’t know when the end is. It’s a lot sooner than later. I’m just super-appreciative of the fact that I come up here to do another media day and talk to you guys.”
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James, who averaged 24.4 points per game last season, said his love for basketball—and hunger to keep improving—remained undimmed. “The thing still pushing me is the fact that my love for the game is still high, and the love of the process is even higher,” he said. “It’s that simple—me training and working my body and trying to get my body as close to 100% as possible every year, it’s a beautiful thing for me… The NBA season is a roller coaster. But no matter the good, the bad, ugly, I still love that process.”
“For me personally, I love to play the game, I love to play at a high level. Age is kind of just a number. Not many guys at my age, especially going to year 23, are able to play a level like that. I try not to take it for granted.” Last season, the Lakers sent shockwaves around the NBA after signing Luka Doncic in a stunning trade with the Dallas Mavericks. James said the prospect of playing with the Slovenian star after a full training camp—instead of learning on the fly last year—was another motivating force for his 23rd season. “The motivation to play alongside him every night, that’s super motivating,” James said. “That’s gonna train my body for every night I go out there and try to be the best player I can for him. We gonna bounce that off one another.”
In addition to a full training camp alongside Doncic, James is also relishing the prospect of starting the new season with a squad that has been bolstered by the arrival of veteran guard Marcus Smart and center Deandre Ayton. “I’m excited about getting to work, and I’m excited to see what we can do,” James said.
Doncic, meanwhile, said Monday he hopes a full pre-season with James and the Lakers squad will make the 17-time NBA champions a more consistent, and formidable, force. “When you get to a new team in the middle of the season, it’s kind of hard to get everything together,” Doncic said. “But pre-season is going to help a lot with leadership, getting to know the guys. I’m very excited—I think we can do big, big things.”
© 2024 AFP
