Los Angeles Lakers All-Star power forward LeBron James is 40 years old and in his 23rd season, though he is still playing at an elite level.
However, despite his continued success, James is still facing Father Time, and he repeatedly said that the all-time great will be calling it quits soon.
Given his status as potentially the greatest to ever play basketball, James will want to go out on top and avoid becoming a role player remembered as a shell of his former self.
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He missed the start of the season due to sciatica on his right side, but he finally returned in November, making his season debut, and he is still working on reintegrating himself.
James has a clear goal of playing as many games as possible.
‘Availability is Very Key’
“I’ve always thought in order to be a leader of a team and someone that is relied on, your availability is very key,” James told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“To be available to your teammates. And I know it’s a tough season. There’s tough seasons every single year. And a lot of games hit us. You never know how the schedule is going to fall out. But I try to be available as much as I can.”
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However, while his ambition is to play as much as possible, the Lakers need to be careful with how they deploy James if they want to keep him fresh.
According to McMenamin, who broke down the Lakers’ handling of James this season, James may be in his last season.
“Giving James a night off here and there, from now until mid-April, would help save his legs for what the Lakers hope is a deep playoff run,” McMenamin wrote.
“At the same time, if James believes this could be his last season — something that sources close to James have insisted that he remains undecided about — he might feel even more responsibility to suit up for every game on what would then be a retirement tour.
“Redick said that James’ availability night to night would be determined by a group including James, Redick, James’ longtime athletic trainer Mike Mancias and Dr. Leroy Sims, the Lakers’ director of player performance and health.”
Future Hall of Famer Chris Paul is currently on his retirement tour. If LeBron James were to retire, he would probably announce it before the season to ensure he gets a farewell tour.
It likely isn’t his last season, given the lack of an announcement, but the NBA world is approaching the end of the LeBron James experience.
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