Even in his 23rd NBA season, LeBron James is still capable of leading a franchise to playoff wins.
James had 19 points and 13 assists for the Los Angeles Lakers in a Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets. The NBA's all-time leading scorer followed up that performance with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a Game 2 victory on Tuesday night.
“We executed the game plan offensively and defensively, shored up some of our mistakes from Game 1, and just got into a dogfight,” James said. “When we have two big guns out like we have, we've all got to pick up our play, and that's all it's about. We're all just trying to make contributions on offense and seize the opportunity.”
It's pretty evident that James isn't anywhere close to being "washed up." That doesn't necessarily mean he'll compete in the NBA for years to come.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.
When will LeBron finally retire?
The Athletic recently reported that retirement after this season remains "a real possibility" for James.
"Team and league sources granted anonymity to speak openly say James has made no decisions regarding his future; that retirement remains a real possibility," Dan Woike and Sam Amick wrote. "The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself."
While it's possible James walks away from the NBA this summer, his longtime agent believes he's got at least two seasons left in him.
"LeBron could play five more years," Rich Paul of Klutch Sports said. "He could play at least 28 years in the NBA. Now, I personally think he should play 25 years. He definitely has at least two more years in him."
Honestly, it's hard to argue against that claim by Paul. We're seeing James do extraordinary things at 41 years old.
Besides, the NBA is at its best when James is in the spotlight. It'd be nice to see him stick around for at least one more season.
