There has been a noticeable dip in LeBron James’ performance as of late. This decline has prompted discussions on his future in the NBA as many claim that Father Time has finally caught up with the Los Angeles Lakers superstar ahead of his 40th birthday. The Run It Back show’s co-host Lou Williams approached LBJ’s apparent downturn from the perspective of a retired NBA player.
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According to the former Clippers star, James’ downfall has a lot in common with the end of his own career. While watching James playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year could see it in Bron’s eyes that the firepower had fizzled out.
Williams said, “What I will say about that game last night, it reminded me of the end of my career. He had this look in his eyes like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ He smoked one layup by himself and he had this look like, ‘What’s happening? Somebody took my space jam ball.’ It was like he was kind of bewildered a little bit.”
LeBron won’t be playing all 82 games like he planned after sitting out the Lakers game yesterday.
But, his performance on Friday showed The King still sits atop the throne. pic.twitter.com/FQmkmMLRpe
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 9, 2024
Chandler Parsons also implied that LBJ was nearing his retirement, after pointing out that the King averaged merely 16.8 points during a six-game stretch. To be fair, the 6ft 9” has lost a spark in his game.
But while there have been a few lackluster games, James has also been terrific on some nights. He just had a 39-point outing against the Hawks a few nights ago.
While these performances show that the soon-to-be 40-year-old is still capable of being one of the best players in the league, the inconsistency has been a cause of concern. Add to that James’ latest comments on retirement, fans have been led to believe that the four-time MVP will soon be hanging his boots.
James won’t be playing for much long
In mid-November, LeBron James achieved a historic feat – becoming the oldest player to record three consecutive triple-doubles. However, this accomplishment was eclipsed by one specific postgame comment.
James reminded his supporters that he wasn’t going to be playing forever. He hinted that the end of his career was closer than expected.
“It’s the mind. Wherever my mind is, is how the rest of my body is going to go, whatever the case may be. I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest. One year, two years, whatever the case may be,” James boldly said.
James may no longer be performing at an All-NBA level, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player. In fact, he could still be highly effective in a reduced role 2-3 years from now. His remarkable physicality and durability might even allow him to share the court with his younger son, Bryce James.
