A farewell tour in the NBA is a moniker for a legendary player’s final season in the league. Over the years, icons have announced in the campaign that they’d retire at the end of the season, kickstarting a series of tributes from fans and teams in away arenas to celebrate their legendary careers and pay homage to the battles that their team has had with that player.
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Only a handful of players have had the luxury of getting a farewell tour. In November 2015, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant announced 15 games into the season that he’d retire at the end of the 2015-16 campaign. The Lakers’ roster was equipped to earn a playoff spot, making the rest of the season all about celebrating the five-time NBA champion’s career. Bryant was felicitated with gifts and tribute videos at every arena in the NBA, including the Lakers’ arch-nemesis Boston Celtics‘ TD Garden.
While Bryant received adulation at every arena, not every icon’s final season was met with the same fanfare. In September 2016, Paul Pierce announced that the 2016-17 season would be his last in the NBA. His farewell tour paled in comparison to Bryant’s, and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green even used it to mock the former Finals MVP.
In February 2017, Pierce’s Los Angeles Clippers visited the Warriors’ Oracle Arena. Less than a minute into the game, Green got into a verbal spat with the forward, who was on the bench, and said,
“Chasing that farewell tour, they don’t love you like that. You can’t get no farewell tour, they don’t love you like that. You ain’t got that type of love. You thought you was Kobe.”
A farewell tour is a distinction only a few players in NBA history have earned. Bryant is the most recent recipient, and it’ll be a while before we see another player get showered with love like he was in his final season.
LeBron James contemplating a farewell tour
The next player to retire from the NBA with a resume comparable to Kobe Bryant’s will likely be LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion turned 39 in December 2023 and recently was asked about his potential retirement date during the All-Star weekend in Indiana. He revealed he doesn’t know when he’ll leave the sport but knows he doesn’t have too many years left.
The Lakers superstar was asked if he would announce his retirement a year in advance and embark on a farewell tour. He claimed he’s 50/50 on announcing it beforehand and retiring out of the blue like San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan. He said,
“There’s times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be… But the other side of I’ve never been that great with accepting like praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me.”
Given his accomplishments, it’s a no-brainer that James should embark on a farewell tour. However, unlike Bryant in his final few seasons, he’s still playing at an All-NBA level. Announcing his retirement beforehand while still producing at an elite level might not be wise. It’s unclear what the best path for James is, but he deserves to be celebrated in every arena like Bryant was in his final year.
