SUMMARY
- Charles Barkley believes LeBron James should retire soon.
- Barkley claimed that it's better to retire at the peak of his career rather at the declining end of it.
LeBron James certainly looks like he can play for many more years to come, but however capable he might seem, there isn’t much time before the 39-year-old takes on bigger responsibilities away from the floor. Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers faced a poor post-season run against the Denver Nuggets. They were eliminated 4-1 in the first round, luckily avoiding a second clean sweep.
The Lakers superstar didn’t seem like he was a decline either averaging 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. Right now, the Lakers have to realize that he’s still able to compete at a high level and make major off-season changes to help the roster contend for the title. Even though he’s still at his peak, a former NBA legend claims James should simply retire while he’s dominant rather than hanging up when he can’t play anymore.
Charles Barkley does not want LeBron James to retire after he declines physically
Charles Barkley was one individual who left the game on a bitter note. Injuries blocked out his ability to play ultimately forcing the former MVP to retire because he couldn’t physically keep up with the league anymore. On a recent appearance on ClubShayShay with Shannon Sharpe, Barkley said, “I hope he retires soon because I hated the way I retired. Caused I sucked… Your ego says you can still do it. Cause I remember telling myself in my last two years, ‘Okay, I’m going to get myself in great shape this summer. I’mma have a good year and then I’mma retire.’”
“I hope he retires soon because I hated the way I retired… Your ego says you can still do it… I don’t want to see any great players play when they’re past their prime.”
Charles Barkley on why he thinks LeBron James should retire 🗣️
(via @ClubShayShay)pic.twitter.com/GypviGjDeA
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 6, 2024
He added, “Then I figured out like, playing against air, everybody is good against air. Everybody is great against air. But when that 25-year-old is looking at you like, licking his lips, you’re like, ‘Oh sh*t.’ And like, there’s nothing you can do.” Barkley went on to address how watching players like Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing enter their last legs wasn’t easy.
LeBron James had to disregard the idea of fourth-quarter minutes restriction
Before entering the 2023-24 season, LeBron James’ future in the NBA was a major question mark. After getting swept in the Western Conference Finals, a dejected James claimed he didn’t know if he wanted to compete anymore. But as expected, he made a comeback because he knew he had a lot more to give to the sport than just four Championships.
Ahead of the season, LeBron James and former Lakers coach Darvin Ham planned on putting him on a fourth-quarter minutes restriction (as per Marca). But James ultimately ditched the game plan and pushed himself to play more minutes since the Lakers were losing. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game during the regular season. James also played the most minutes he ever has as a Laker.