At 41 years old and entering his 24th NBA season, LeBron James still hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’ll return to the league next year.
Walking away from the game might be harder now than ever because James is still playing at an elite level.
Dwyane Wade admitted the situation is almost unfair for someone who remains one of the NBA’s top players.
“It has to suck a little bit to get to this point in your career and still be really good,” Wade said. “… It’s hard to make that decision when you still really f—— good. Who walks away when they’re really, really good? Only a few. It ain’t a lot of Barry Sanders who just walk away when they really good.
“And you’re talking about a guy who’s been doing this his entire life. This is what he knows better than anyone since he’s been playing this game, right? He’s become this generation’s G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time), and so, how do you walk away from being a G.O.A.T. when you still a G.O.A.T.?”
Wade’s comments came after another impressive season from LeBron with the Los Angeles Lakers. Even while sharing the spotlight with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, James remained one of the driving forces behind the Lakers’ playoff run.
During the regular season, the four-time MVP averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.
When injuries sidelined Doncic and Reaves late in the year, LeBronshifted straight back into a lead role and helped carry Los Angeles through the opening round against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers eventually won the series in six games after jumping out to a three-games-to-none lead, with James once again looking like the centerpiece of a contender. Across 10 playoff appearances, he averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists.
Contenders around the league are still monitoring James’ future closely in case he decides to continue playing elsewhere, according to multiple reports. And based on Wade’s comments, stepping away while still performing at this level may be the toughest challenge yet for one of basketball’s all-time greats.
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