“He’s a Physical Specimen”: Dwyane Wade Bluntly Discarding LeBron James’ Retirement Implication Resurfaces

A lot has been made about a potential retirement for LA Lakers’ LeBron James after being beaten 4-0 by the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals last year. At the age of 38, James failed to help his team deliver a title challenge but is still performing at a high level individually. His iconic teammate, Dwyane Wade, however, recently seemed undaunted by The King’s retirement rumors. Speaking to Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Wade claimed LeBron was a physical specimen, and he expects the 4-time MVP to return next season. The interview took place three weeks ago, and a snippet of the video was re-shared on the podcast on September 23.

After losing out to the Nuggets 4-0, quite a few questions were asked about James’ future. He seemed to have been considering retirement himself. However, Wade believes while that might have been true in the heat of the moment, he would have calmed down a few days later.

Dwyane Wade says no to LeBron James retirement speculation

Dwyane Wade immediately seemed dismissive of the retirement speculation. When asked by Sharpe, Wade first asked him to pour him a drink. He then ensured the two were talking about the same topic:

“Go ahead, give me that. YOu’re talking about the man who had 40,10 and 9? Okay, Gotta make sure we are talking about the same All my money still in my pocket, I ain’t buying nothing. It’s the moment after the game, man. It’s a lot. The conversation in the locker room may not be as funny no more because you don’t have a lot in common with the next generation. You get tired of the travel, the travel gets old. You take all of that, it beats you down mentally. Physically, we know what it is. He’s a physical specimen. But at the same time, physically, it’s going to break you down.”

Wade claimed that in the moment, the speculation, losses, and the resulting frustration can break people down. LeBron might have considered that it was time to retire after losing the games in the manner that the Lakers did. However, Wade claimed he wasn’t buying it:

“I don’t know. I ain’t gonna ask him, ‘Bro you for real?’ That’s not me. But when I looked at it I was like, ‘Okay, I ain’t buying that.’ I know after the season where they asking you this question at this moment. But also when he gets away to Mexico to the south of France. He’s going to look around and be like ‘Ok, the King is coming back.’”

There are not many who know LeBron James better than his former teammate. The two won 2 titles during their time together at the Miami Heat, and are as close as friends get off the court.

LeBron reportedly planned retirement after son Bronny’s NBA draft

Bronny James, who currently plays for the prestigious USC University, will be eligible to enter the NBA from the 2024-25 season. One of James’ most talked about aims is to one day play alongside Bronny in the NBA.

Speaking after the series against the Nuggets, James had said that he had a lot to think about with respect to moving forward with basketball. Fans had immediately reacted by believing that this was his first hint towards retirement.

Wade, however, is in a much better position to understand James’ mindset. He believes that while the Lakers’ ace might have been frustrated after the match, he still had a lot left in his tank.