Is LeBron really about to play two more seasons?

[JonFromVA]

I’m sure he’s planning on playing at least one more season after this one right now, but I think this sciatica is going to be more debilitating than he thinks, both in terms of declining performance after a rough season last year, and in terms of just how it makes his body feel. I would guess some time between now and the end of the season, he’ll decide that this is enough.

Yep, unless he's just making this up so he can appease the league and the TV networks.

Sciatica itself is a mystery diagnosis of leg pain that typically turns in to a diagnosis of a spinal injury (such as a herniated disc) once tests are run.

If that's what it is, he can play through the pain, but then is continuing to play still fun / worth the bother / risks of more damage?

[JujitsuFlip]

Lower the shoulder and bull rush the rim was his move. He was the Shaq of perimeter players. Hopefully this is his last year

Idk who everyone will have to hate once he retires lol

Isn’t it obvious? Shai’s already kinda surpassing LeBron for #1 with the haters and he’s playing for the youngest champions in history who are coming off the most dominant regular season of all-time. 1 or 2 more rings and he’ll be easily the most hated man in the league.

SGA will have to show that LeBron level of durability.

LeBron has generally been healthy in his career until a few of these Lakers seasons.

SGA will also have to go on some runs. LBJ went to 8 straight finals and 9 in 10 years. To just win a ring with 3 different teams in 1 decade is hard to fathom.

[JonFromVA]

Or Kevin Durant, now that he's with a contender again and is headed for a 3rd ring... and most likely 3rd Finals MVP too, considering how much better he is than his teammates at scoring.

LOL, the Rockets don’t even have a point guard. They’re going need to either make a trade or have Amen take a massive leap to be real contenders. You might wanna pump the brakes a little.

Also I’m generally a pretty big KD hater, but even I’d be happy for him to see him actually earn a ring as the best player on his team in the twilight of his career. I think people would root pretty hard for KD to upset his old team the Thunder.

In what way(s) did KD not earn 2 rings with the Warriors? If he didn't earn them, the nobody else on the team did either??

Surely you didn't forget he joined a 73 win team that had already won a championship with it's core and barely missed winning a second?

[bonita_the_frog]

Because he joined the best team in the league that would have been favored to win the title even if he missed the whole season injured? At least the other guys worked hard in the gym to build the Warriors up to being the best team in the NBA in previous seasons. KD just hopped on board and said “let me come along for the ride.”

Its mindboggling to think what would have happened if KD never left the Warriors... he'd have 5-6 rings probably and more on the way

I have never understood this line of argument, that those titles don’t count because he and Curry together were too good, hardly an argument against the quality of either as a player, particularly in an era when all manner of top players attempted the superteam thing, often unsuccessfully.

GSW were never returning the next season with Harrison Barnes as their stating SF, particularly not for the KD money he wanted after he missed so many mostly open shots in the finals.

When did I say those titles wouldn't count?
What I'm saying is, its mindblowing that he's missed such a huge opportunity to tie or exceed MJ's number of rings...
And I feel like the most unlucky person in the world, because KD is my favorite player and we should currently have 5 or 6 rings AND perhaps 5 or 6 Finals MVPs too.

[HMFFL]

I was sure the '25-'26 season would be his last, but the season is about to start about to start and he hasn't announced his retirement plans. It's possible he might decide and/or announce this will be his last season sometime later on, especially if he starts losing significant time to injuries, but as of now it seems like he's planning on playing through 2027.

He has been a Laker for 7 seasons.
Is it really difficult to believe that Lebron may want to reach 10 seasons with the Lakers? He can cruise to a minimum of 45 games per season.

[The4thHorseman]

LOL, the Rockets don’t even have a point guard. They’re going need to either make a trade or have Amen take a massive leap to be real contenders. You might wanna pump the brakes a little.

Also I’m generally a pretty big KD hater, but even I’d be happy for him to see him actually earn a ring as the best player on his team in the twilight of his career. I think people would root pretty hard for KD to upset his old team the Thunder.

In what way(s) did KD not earn 2 rings with the Warriors? If he didn't earn them, the nobody else on the team did either??

Surely you didn't forget he joined a 73 win team that had already won a championship with it's core and barely missed winning a second?

See post #36

[HMFFL]

LOL, the Rockets don’t even have a point guard. They’re going need to either make a trade or have Amen take a massive leap to be real contenders. You might wanna pump the brakes a little.

Also I’m generally a pretty big KD hater, but even I’d be happy for him to see him actually earn a ring as the best player on his team in the twilight of his career. I think people would root pretty hard for KD to upset his old team the Thunder.

In what way(s) did KD not earn 2 rings with the Warriors? If he didn't earn them, the nobody else on the team did either??

Surely you didn't forget he joined a 73 win team that had already won a championship with it's core and barely missed winning a second?

Trashing KD gets old.
It's odd that you think Golden State wins two titles without KD. He also won FMVP both times.

Drafted by Seattle, invest in the community, charity work, buys a house, and is forced to move to OKC. He eventually gets his freedom to leave and he helped the Warriors to be even more successful.

[41Dirk41]

I hope 10 seasons, he has to ruin lakers forever.

[Mephariel]

LeBron is definitely the most boring MVP-winner I've ever seen. Its amazing he's played this long and still hasn't come up with a move yet. Or his fans tell me the "spin move" is his, but that's something even an uncoordinated novice can do... we all learn that move literally the first year we play organized basketball.

This feels like a comment that would have been a bad take in 2008.

Scoring points doesn't automatically make you entertaining.
I'm surprised I have to tell you this, everybody knows it...
Every sport has a boring player.

Lower the shoulder and bull rush the rim was his move. He was the Shaq of perimeter players. Hopefully this is his last year

He’s going to surpass 50,000 points.

Methinks his game goes far beyond just lowering his shoulder.

How are the number of points relevant to his boring game?
I never said the boredom wasn't effective...
It just means he bored us more and we'll enjoy his retirement more.

He has some of the best poster dunks of all time. But because he hasn't "invented" a move, he is boring?

When I say "come up with a move" I mean a move that becomes their signature, not a move invented that nobody has ever done before...
So if LeBron's signature is a "spin move" its just very underwhelming, because most players signature moves are related to scoring, not just dribbling.
And not every player has a signature move, but if you are a top 3 player of all-time, you probably should have a signature move (unless you are boring).

And were LeBron's dunks really some of the best poster dunks of all-time?
Because for example last season there was a dunk that was described as "the best dunk of LeBron's career"-
https://sports.yahoo.com/did-lebron-james-just-throw-down-the-best-dunk-of-his-career-at-40-years-old-014844744.html
But it served as an example of how overrated LeBron's dunks are, when it wasn't even that great for a 40-year-old.
It actually required very little athleticism, compared to this dunk by 40-year-old Jordan on Jermaine O'Neal-

and bigger version on imgur- https://imgur.com/KfeucQN

What makes his game boring? He can do everything. Fade, 3 pointers, layups, dunks, step backs, logo shots. If Lebron is boring, every player in history is boring.

Yes, Lebron's dunks are some of the best all time. Go look at the highlights. He jumped over a player. Stop talking about athleticism. You don't even believe a word you are saying.

[JellosJigglin]

This is strange because for most of his career it was pretty much universally accepted his game was boring. Now in the closing years people are trying to rewrite history and argue he was entertaining to watch lol. Insufferable man. Tick tock the clock is ticking.

[michaelm]

Its mindboggling to think what would have happened if KD never left the Warriors... he'd have 5-6 rings probably and more on the way

I have never understood this line of argument, that those titles don’t count because he and Curry together were too good, hardly an argument against the quality of either as a player, particularly in an era when all manner of top players attempted the superteam thing, often unsuccessfully.

GSW were never returning the next season with Harrison Barnes as their stating SF, particularly not for the KD money he wanted after he missed so many mostly open shots in the finals.

When did I say those titles wouldn't count?
What I'm saying is, its mindblowing that he's missed such a huge opportunity to tie or exceed MJ's number of rings...
And I feel like the most unlucky person in the world, because KD is my favorite player and we should currently have 5 or 6 rings AND perhaps 5 or 6 Finals MVPs too.

I was pretty much agreeing with your response to another poster.

[michaelm]

In what way(s) did KD not earn 2 rings with the Warriors? If he didn't earn them, the nobody else on the team did either??

Because he joined the best team in the league that would have been favored to win the title even if he missed the whole season injured? At least the other guys worked hard in the gym to build the Warriors up to being the best team in the NBA in previous seasons. KD just hopped on board and said “let me come along for the ride.”

GS players were the ones recruiting him throughout the 2016 regular season. Why does the "best team" get a pass for successfully doing that? Half the season was over, GS had lost like 4gms and they're wanting to bring in the 2nd best player in the league??

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/report-warriors-players-recruited-kevin-durant-throughout-season

Harrison Barnes knocked back an early season contract offer that would have made him the highest paid player on the team and wanted KD money to stay. The actual KD was going to be a Free Agent, and they got on well playing together on the US team.

So why exactly shouldn’t they have tried to become the best team of all time ?. The problem for LeBron fans is that they pretty much succeeded.

[jokeboy86]

I would stay tuned for the next month or two. Before this recent injury I would've said next year would be his final season and he would announce it maybe a month before the season start so the league and TV sponsors could hype it up, change the TV scheduling, and probably either they or Lebron record it all for a doc to be released later in the future. But this sciatica injury makes me wonder if Lebron will pull a Kobe. Kobe realized after about a month into his final season that he couldn't do it anymore and then announced his retirement a month in after about 16 games.

The fact that Lebron was basically off this last off-season, didn't participate in training camp, and now has an injury where they're not expecting him until mid-November by the latest reports make me wonder will he call it a wrap after this season when he comes back in November. Especially depending how the recovery goes at his age. Sciatica can go away but like others on this thread have said if it's actually cause of some other underlying herniated disk issues then Lebron may ask himself is this really something he wants to deal with this season and next.

[The4thHorseman]

Because he joined the best team in the league that would have been favored to win the title even if he missed the whole season injured? At least the other guys worked hard in the gym to build the Warriors up to being the best team in the NBA in previous seasons. KD just hopped on board and said “let me come along for the ride.”

GS players were the ones recruiting him throughout the 2016 regular season. Why does the "best team" get a pass for successfully doing that? Half the season was over, GS had lost like 4gms and they're wanting to bring in the 2nd best player in the league??

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/report-warriors-players-recruited-kevin-durant-throughout-season

Harrison Barnes knocked back an early season contract offer that would have made him the highest paid player on the team and wanted KD money to stay. The actual KD was going to be a Free Agent, and they got on well playing together on the US team.

So why exactly shouldn’t they have tried to become the best team of all time ?. The problem for LeBron fans is that they pretty much succeeded.

what's any of that have to do with whether KD's rings are considered earned or not??

Might want to switch up your bait and recast lol

[axeman23]

He's said before he wants a chance to play with both sons before he retires. That troll he did with the second decision that turned out to be a Hennessey ad is a sign he has no intention of retiring this season, a drama queen like LeBron would want the whole farewell tour. Bryce becomes draft eligible after this season, If not with the Lakers I'm sure LeBron can find a team that will be willing to waste two spots on Bronny and Bryce if only to sell tickets. I think he retires after the 2027 season

I honestly loved all the scalper wanna-be's pre-empting his announcement being a retirement, and rushing to buy tickets they could resell for a profit, then getting burned... Now you've got salty bishes trying to sue him coz they can't make a profit!

[K N U C K L E S]

What's he gonna do when he retires? I can't picture him being a coach or analyst, other than maybe something like Inside The NBA. He's probably just gonna do TV commercials for 50 different products or services like Shaq does.

[michaelm]

GS players were the ones recruiting him throughout the 2016 regular season. Why does the "best team" get a pass for successfully doing that? Half the season was over, GS had lost like 4gms and they're wanting to bring in the 2nd best player in the league??

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/report-warriors-players-recruited-kevin-durant-throughout-season

Harrison Barnes knocked back an early season contract offer that would have made him the highest paid player on the team and wanted KD money to stay. The actual KD was going to be a Free Agent, and they got on well playing together on the US team.

So why exactly shouldn’t they have tried to become the best team of all time ?. The problem for LeBron fans is that they pretty much succeeded.

what's any of that have to do with whether KD's rings are considered earned or not??

Might want to switch up your bait and recast lol

I replied to your post, not the other way round if we are talking baiting.

And as I said in another post this argument you guys have been putting up for 8 years now is entirely self defeating, the KD warriors were close to insurmountable for LeBron’s teams or perhaps anyone else’s because both Curry and KD were really good, and very complementary as a tandem.
If you want to recognise the KD Warriors as the best team ever please go ahead. Of course this means that LeBron and his Cavs didn’t actually beat the best team ever the year before.

[LakersLegacy]

Unlike what occurred to Bryant, the Lakers have Doncic (and had Davis) with Rui, Reeves, 1 overall pick with size Ayton, Smart DPOY…

LeBron is playing with both his sons next season to add to his story

And he likely will play an additional season with his sons as well. What keeps him here longest is the chance to win a 5th title and tie Bryant and Duncan.

[JonFromVA]

In what way(s) did KD not earn 2 rings with the Warriors? If he didn't earn them, the nobody else on the team did either??

Surely you didn't forget he joined a 73 win team that had already won a championship with it's core and barely missed winning a second?

Trashing KD gets old.
It's odd that you think Golden State wins two titles without KD. He also won FMVP both times.

Drafted by Seattle, invest in the community, charity work, buys a house, and is forced to move to OKC. He eventually gets his freedom to leave and he helped the Warriors to be even more successful.

Sure, it was KD and the Warriors right to join up and it's our right as fans to never forgive them.

I have no love for OKC and what Clay Bennett did to Seattle, but that's a different issue.

[California Gold]

I think he'll retire a Laker regardless of how many years he plays. He's already planning on his dream home finishing sooner than later and he loves LA. All of his relevant business ventures are also in LA, I'm sure he would rather stay than go. Yeah there's always a chance he goes somewhere for one season but I'd imagine he only does that if there's no reason to stay with the Lakers (i.e. they aren't in a position to contend).