Was this NBA GOAT LeBron James’ ‘Last Dance?’

Retirement?
A sweep
A spectacular show
Similar to MJ23
'I got a lot to think about'
After the press conference
A foot injury
‘I knew I could get to the finish line’
Why would he walk away?
Contract situation
Getting the bag
Playing with Bronny
He has to wait
He's still one of the best
His statistics
‘I’m still better than 90%’
Retirement?

Los Angeles Lakers star and all-time great LeBron James is considering retirement from basketball after losing in the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets.

A sweep

The Lakers were swept 4-0 in the series, losing in a tight contest 113-111, with James scoring a playoff career-high of 31 points in the first half.

A spectacular show

If it was to be James' final game in the NBA, what a stat line to finish on, scoring 40 points, grabbing ten rebounds, and dishing out nine assists.

Similar to MJ23

With the prospect of James retiring now real, the resemblance to Michael Jordan's walk away from the game in 1998 is drastically similar, with the pair leaving as still the best players in the NBA.

'I got a lot to think about'

Speaking at the post-game press conference, James said: "I got a lot to think about just personally, with me moving forward in the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about."

After the press conference

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, he asked James, "When you say got to think about stuff, what thread should we be pulling on that?" James said, "If I want to continue to play."

A foot injury

James led The Lakers to the seventh seed in the West and played in all of his side's post-season games while managing a tendon injury in his foot that initially popped in February.

‘I knew I could get to the finish line’

Despite the frequent occurrence of injuries in recent months, according to espn.com, James said, "I knew I could get to the finish line. I knew I had to deal with it and deal with the pain or deal with not being able to be myself before the injury."

Why would he walk away?

Here are some reasons why it would be unthinkable for LeBron to walk away.

Contract situation

LeBron's contract hasn't run out yet with the Los Angeles Lakers, having one season remaining and a player option extension going into the 2024-2025 season.

Getting the bag

According to ESPN, his contract next season is worth $46.7 million and the following season worth $50.4 million.

Playing with Bronny

As his eldest son Bronny James has got older, LeBron has made it clear that he wants to share the floor with him, saying: 'It would be the icing on the cake' after an interview with ESPN earlier in the year.

He has to wait

His son Bronny recently committed to the University of Southern California, meaning James may have to adjust his expectations of having the dream send-off.

He's still one of the best

The key factor of all as to why it would be unthinkable for James to leave the NBA is that numbers suggest he's still a top-ten player in the league.

His statistics

Across the 2022-2023 regular season, James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 55 games, leading The Lakers to the seventh seed and the Western Conference Finals.

‘I’m still better than 90%’

According to ESPN, when asked if a full summer of rehab could get him back to the player he was before his foot injury, James nodded confidently, saying: "I'm still better than 90% of the NBA, maybe 95%."

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