LeBron James has been a very touchy subject for NBA fans lately. He is more of a superhero in the basketball community due to his contributions to the sport over the years. Regardless of that, he has faced adversity throughout his 20 years career, some were hard to recover from as well. James continues to excel despite his recent shortcomings and it seems as if he’s ready to battle it out on the court again.
The 4x NBA Champion gave it his all during the 2023 post-season averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. His regular season stat line was far more impressive. But unfortunately, what started as a surprise title run turned into an upsetting loss. James also shocked the world by saying he was considering retirement. However, his manager Rich Paul believes he still has enough fuel left in the gas tank to play for a few more years.
“He’s one guy that I’m not gonna say no.”
– Rich Paul on LeBron James potentially playing till he’s 45 years of age. pic.twitter.com/awKkbyZYPR
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) July 12, 2023
He said, “He’s one guy that I’m not going to say no. I think it’s important to know what really motivates him. I know it. Obviously, I’ve been around him [for] so long. And as long as his mind is there, as long as he’s excited to play the game in addition to the health, absolutely.” Even at the age of 38, the Los Angeles Lakers forward still plays like he’s in his prime. This gives a small ray of hope that he will return next season or play for longer.
Rich Paul believes LeBron James will be as good as Karl Malone even without his athleticism
LeBron James entered the league with a lot of hype around him. Even today, he continues to live up to the expectations even with injuries slowly becoming a hindrance. Rich Paul claimed that James has the potential to dominate even without athleticism. He compared LeBron to Karl Malone, who wasn’t as athletic but still dominated the court to become the second all-time leader in points by the end of his NBA journey.
Paul said, “Because I always tease him… if your athleticism went away you’ll just be Karl Malone, it’s fine. You can pick and pip, shoot the jumper, and make the right reads. You can literally play for as long as you want to. And at this point, he’s obviously not playing for the finances but because he loves the game.” What Paul said after this clearly shows that James isn’t finished with the NBA yet.
James’ manager revealed that LeBron had a rough time dealing with an embarrassing sweep against the Denver Nuggets. But he messages Paul saying that he felt motivated to compete again. Even though James hasn’t made a public announcement regarding his future in the league, this speaks volumes by itself. If the Lakers carry on with the same momentum as the playoffs, they will certainly have a fair shot at the title as well.