The American basketball superstar LeBron James talked about his NBA future at the 2023 ESPYs Award on Thursday, where he confirmed that he will continue playing.
James, 38, was present at the 2023 ESPYs award where he was also awarded for the Best Record-Breaking Performance as he became the league’s all-time leading points scorer.
“I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” James said during the awards in Los Angeles. “The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
It will be the 38-year-old’s 20th NBA season where he has already won four NBA championships. The Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23 but were battered by Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets. After the final, James sparked concern among fans after he said that he is considering his future.
“We’ll see, we’ll see what happens going forward,” James said after the Lakers’ loss. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about. Appreciate it.”
It must be noted that despite reaching the 40s, the American has shown no sign of decline and is still performing at the top level and was one of the most important players for the Lakers in their run to the finals of Western Conference Finals last season.
James, after debuting for his hometown team Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, became the youngest player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award at 19.
While winning the championship four times, he has also been named NBA Finals MVP on four different occasions in 2012, 2013, 2016 — where he led Cavaliers from 3-1 deficit to win the franchise’s first championship and the city’s first title in more than 50 years — and 2020.