Should LeBron hang it up after this season?

[Wardell Curry]

He has a player option of over 50 million for next year, so he's not going to. We know that.

And obviously he's still an NBA level player and will be next year. Most players in the league couldn't average 25 ppg on his shooting percentages if you force fed them the ball as much as possible and let them shoot only the shots they wanted to and forced their teammates into bad shots.

But consider the following:

He's going to hit 40k points this season outside of an injury.
The Lakers mostly suck outside of him and AD and aren't positioned to change this in the immediate future. Their salary cap is ****ed this season and next unless LeBron retires. They absolutely won't be winning a title this year or next year without new rules that suddenly allow the Lakers to clear their roster for free.
His defense isn't exactly anything to write home about.

Based on his standards, he's already washed up. He's averaging a career low in VORP.


Who am I to tell someone what to do with their life if they enjoy it? But clearly not winning is eating at the dude, as he skipped out on last night's media. There's nothing left to prove. There's nothing he's going to realistically do now that will help him long term in legacy. And his contract is going to continue to eat away at what's left of AD's prime.

I think he should, but whatever.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Most of what you're saying is true but he does have one thing to prove, that he can still lead a team to a championship as the best player. I definitely don my think it's happening with these Lakers but nba history has plenty of lopsided trades so maybe they can find a colossal sucker. Plus he has the chance to play on the same team as his son(s?). If I was him I would stick around for that goal, that's never happened in the NBA and maybe just a few times in all of American pro sports (I think the Griffeys and/or Bondses in MLB and maybe someone else). Playing in the NBA with one of your kids is an almost unimaginable thought but here he is with a real chance to do it.

Hopefully it's because the kid belongs in the league and it's not just some blatant nepotism because if its nepotism then I do agree he should retire. Don't have a year where he's averaging 20 over 40 games his kid averages 1.3 over 4 games and LA gets on TV for 30 nights so we can all watch them heap undeserved praise on his family while the team makes its way to the lottery. Now that would be awful.

[Xiao Yao You]

Most of what you're saying is true but he does have one thing to prove, that he can still lead a team to a championship as the best player. I definitely don my think it's happening with these Lakers but nba history has plenty of lopsided trades so maybe they can find a colossal sucker. Plus he has the chance to play on the same team as his son(s?). If I was him I would stick around for that goal, that's never happened in the NBA and maybe just a few times in all of American pro sports (I think the Griffeys and/or Bondses in MLB and maybe someone else). Playing in the NBA with one of your kids is an almost unimaginable thought but here he is with a real chance to do it.

Hopefully it's because the kid belongs in the league and it's not just some blatant nepotism because if its nepotism then I do agree he should retire. Don't have a year where he's averaging 20 over 40 games his kid averages 1.3 over 4 games and LA gets on TV for 30 nights so we can all watch them heap undeserved praise on his family while the team makes its way to the lottery. Now that would be awful.

Griffey's yes. Son was better than the father in that case. Bobby Bonds was long gone before Barry

[Akeem34TheDream]

Does OP think Lebron is playing only for winning a title? He will not retire. He loves money(understandably) and attention too much for that. And honestly he is still too good to retire.

[iamgine]

No. He wants to play with his son next season.

[FultzNationRISE]

Yes Lebron should hang it up. It drags on the freaking ground when he walks. But how? On what? What exactly is he gonna hang it on??

[Im so nba'd out]

No, he’s still the best player…didn’t he just win the playin? You stupid mutha (beep). Stop making threads bro. Before I STOP you from making threads…

https://i.postimg.cc/jSzvD440/IMG-1270.gif

[Patrick Chewing]

He looked terrible last night.

[SATAN]

He looked terrible last night.

Been playing through illness. Hard to take a night off with their injuries.

It's everyone else's fault.

[SaltyMeatballs]

No. He needs to play at least 2 more years so he can have another record in the books with the most seasons ever played.

[ILLsmak]

I don't understand how the son thing is gonna work. I feel like that should be illegal if a team drafts a player just so they get bron.

-Smak

[Xiao Yao You]

I don't understand how the son thing is gonna work. I feel like that should be illegal if a team drafts a player just so they get bron.

-Smak

Going to hurt his son if anything. Most teams don't want Lebron

[TheMan]

Been playing through illness. Hard to take a night off with their injuries.

It's everyone else's fault.
Of course

[Real Men Wear Green]

I don't understand how the son thing is gonna work. I feel like that should be illegal if a team drafts a player just so they get bron.

-Smak

Milwaukee has had two players named "Antetokuonmpo " for a while now.

[warriorfan]

He should have hung it up awhile ago. He’s making a mockery out of his career at this point.

Dude could have learned a thing or two from Barry Sanders.

[Xiao Yao You]

He should have hung it up awhile ago. He’s making a mockery out of his career at this point.

Dude could have learned a thing or two from Barry Sanders.

No IST banner if he had!

[mr4speed]

He looked terrible last night.

And the longer he plays, the more nights he will have like this which will give plenty of fodder for the haters. The idea of playing with his son, I think will also work against him as many will take that as another example of Lebron manipulating, coercing, and creating his own roster. And I wonder what his son thinks? I wonder if he just wants to create his own path - the shadow he will be walking in will be difficult enough.