EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James said he woke up on his 40th birthday Monday feeling different as he processed being in a new decade.
“To just wake up and just be like, ‘Oh shoot, oh damn, you’re 40?’” James said at practice. “It’s kind of laughable, really, to know where I am, to see where I am still playing the game at a high level, still being such a young man but old in the scheme of how many years I got in this profession.”
When asked if his thoughts of reaching the finish line of his career have increased as he’s aged, James replied, “Of course,” adding that he has a “very good” relationship with retirement.
But he clarified that whenever he decides to hang ’em up, it won’t be because he isn’t capable of performing “at a high level.” James estimates he could play another half-decade if he wanted to.
“If I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level probably for about another — it’s weird that I might say this — but probably about another five to seven years, if I wanted to,” James said Monday. “But I’m not going to do that.”
James is posting unprecedented production for a player in his 22nd season, averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists on 49.6/35.7/76.7 shooting splits. He has eight triple-doubles this season and just completed his entire 30s without a single game of single-digit scoring.
James made it clear that once he decides to retire, he won’t unretire like Michael Jordan or Tom Brady did in their late 30s and early 40s, respectively.
“I would miss the hell out of (basketball), for sure,” James said. “But no, I won’t walk away and come back.”
As for if he wants to retire as a Laker, James said that’s been his plan since he signed with the team back in 2018. But he also acknowledged that the business side of the game can always affect a partnership’s plans.
“I think that’s the plan,” James said. “I would love for it to end here. That would be the plan. I came here to play the last stage of my career and to finish it off here. But I’m also not silly or too jaded to know the business of the game as well, to know the business of basketball. But I think my relationship with this organization speaks for itself. And hopefully, I don’t got to go nowhere before my career is over.”
With the Lakers striking a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton on Sunday, James took stock of where Los Angeles is within the NBA hierarchy and if the opportunity to compete for championships will influence his decision on when he retires.
“Right now, I think we’re a very good team,” James said. “I think we have a chance to compete with anybody in the league. Are we at a championship level? Can we win a championship right now? No, I don’t think so. But that’s good because we have so much room for improvement, and we just added two new guys as well in DoeDoe (Dorian-Finney Smith) and Shake (Milton). So we’ll see how we incorporate those guys. That should be fun as well. I’m happy that they’re here.
“But we’ll see. I don’t know if that determines if I stick around longer because it doesn’t change my career in any sense or fashion.”
The Lakers welcomed Finney-Smith and Milton at their practice facility on Monday, though neither player participated in practice. Coach JJ Redick said the hope is for both players to be cleared to play Tuesday in the Lakers’ home matchup against Cleveland.
Redick offered a scouting report on the newcomers, both of whom he previously played with.
“Dorian gives us another defender,” Redick said. “And he’s a guy that has guarded multiple positions throughout his career. He’s worked to become an elite spot-up, catch-and-shoot three-point shooter. So just excited to have him. Shake, another guy that can handle the ball and score the basketball and shoot the basketball. And was teammates with both these guys, Shake in Philly and Doe in Dallas. So I know what they bring on the court. I also know what they bring in terms of a culture and locker room fit. It’s going to be great for our group, both on and off the court.”
Redick said that he plans on sticking with the current starting lineup of Anthony Davis, James, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and Austin Reaves for the foreseeable future. Redick said he already spoke with Finney-Smith, who has been a full-time starter for nearly five straight seasons, about coming off the bench and what the Lakers believe he can provide. Redick noted that the starting lineup remains fluid long term and that he’ll continue to evaluate the group.
Finney-Smith said he’s excited to be in a winning situation and compete for a championship — and play for the “big bros” in a city rather than the “little brother,” as the Brooklyn Nets were to the New York Knicks.
“I knew the chance of me getting traded was high,” Finney-Smith said. “So it didn’t matter where it was going to be at, I was gonna be ready to go because, again, I was already mentally prepared to get moved. But I’m happy I’m here.
“I’m finally with the big bros. So it feels good.”
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(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
