LeBron James Announces His Return for the 21st NBA Season

By: Fatima Roshni Image credit: My Khel

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[{"selector":"#anim-23a50ab1-9550-4032-a829-968b32913331","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbe044e2-62d6-4abd-b10e-88471d07a362","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3be5a501-dd9a-4ca8-bd5d-a10b60bfc4a1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 133.26873%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6b0913b7-8e00-4a95-ae78-bd481e7d389e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-59.907412346594604%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] With no official statement released, LeBron finally spoke up during his award ceremony for the Best Record-Breaking Performance passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scorer.

[{"selector":"#anim-ccceb20e-fdb1-4426-9dd3-d0857388e29b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.517269928837724%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80c91d8f-56ea-4956-be16-b7fe7b515c18","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4bdb0761-996b-4818-9657-6c57dd01da5d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e40f3db7-ac67-411b-bac3-5488c58d6a51","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.92356%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3710e33b-f971-4c56-ba0c-f7888ea859e7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-df6cd867-b911-4930-9b27-9ee15483e686","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Contemplating his thoughts, he said, "When the season ended, I wasn't sure if I was going to keep playing. I know a lot of experts told you guys what I said, but I'm here now speaking for myself."

[{"selector":"#anim-a2624b23-f312-4566-9aa0-55da93bfdb9d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-0887d1b7-f9e1-433b-954b-804b0fe4c4c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-27d1aeb2-c452-4926-b6a9-cb2ef37fe61e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.2691%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1ad75e1d-6411-42d5-902c-6ed16f4c8463 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(13.728794112748444%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Getting his thoughts cleared now, the Los Angeles Lakers star is, however, set to continue his journey forward, playing his 21st season of his NBA career and giving his best.

[{"selector":"#anim-acdd9b12-6812-460b-9331-2f024c97dfc3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(8.509215735556172%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d2215117-57c5-46e0-97da-149f82cbcc7b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-306feae4-4d75-4bc4-a609-515c1e573742","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.98372%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae0ae86e-6345-4757-956d-fb0b23171827","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43c73c32-091d-4b5e-b54d-0ad705d57421","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-95.77778%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Carrying some unanswered questions in his mind, LeBron stated, "At that moment, I'm asking myself if I can still play without cheating the game. Can I give everything to the game still?"

[{"selector":"#anim-35ac6b07-56c5-4154-9642-142142c8d479","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebb05c9a-6ab4-4a9f-ad3d-00c78d099df8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 63.23179%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b35032c9-ea47-468b-b57b-56e9ecfac751","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b840650c-d9e7-453c-920b-dc5ff7af7c47 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-63.8791385370708%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Elaborating his thoughts further, LeBron also mentioned the time and cause of his retirement. "The day I can't give everything on the floor is the day I'll be done."

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[{"selector":"#anim-1834f171-2243-4e51-ad01-449117166ede [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-64.53987632543999%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-979f770c-16e9-47f7-9acc-3f754aac4834","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb65d364-04be-49fd-9023-d82c74f85c39","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(94.97816%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95438400-3c32-4f8a-ad32-ad24f114615e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.39871%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47fa03a1-f4ed-43df-bc0e-6e4153e53067","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-03d2f4d8-1829-459a-b9d6-f4ed38003779","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] For LeBron James, "What brings me back every year is watching and coaching my boys and their teammates. Those kids get me back to where I need to be. So yeah, I still have something left—a lot left."

LeBron James Announces His Return for the 21st NBA Season

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