Earlier this week, Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL after 22 seasons.
Trying to guess how much longer LeBron James can play at an elite level is like trying to predict how many more action movies Liam Neeson is going to crank out post-Medicare qualifying.
Will that be enough for him to reach what most of us think are his twin ambitions hinging on career duration? The first is somehow eclipsing Michael Jordan in casual NBA fans’ arguments over the “greatest player ever.” I don’t think extending his claim on the Most Sustained Excellence Ever title matters much in that particular debate, even after James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s top points getter.
So mark me down for 22 seasons for James, synching up his farewell tour with his eldest son’s rookie NBA season.
James is under contract through the 2022-23 season, so there’s no question that James will join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Jamal Crawford as the other lone NBA players to log 20 seasons.
Bronny will be a senior next season at Sierra Canyon School, a private K-12 school in Chatsworth, Calif, and then would presumably have to play at least one year in college, with the G League Ignite or overseas before entering the NBA.
Given that trajectory, I think LeBron will ensure that his final season coincides with Bronny’s rookie season in the NBA, presumably in the 2024-25 season.
Because: A slip here, a twist of the ankle there, a pulled muscle over there, and the body may not cooperate.
Does he follow the path of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish, among other Hall of Famers, and overstay the welcome? Unlikely — pride and the fact he doesn’t need the money will prevent that.
I’m not LeBron James nor am I close enough to him to really know what his motivations are or how willing he is to play with deteriorated skills and athleticism.
But we should see.” That tells me that LeBron will play at least long enough to make that dream a reality, and why shouldn’t he? We’d all love to accomplish an achievement of that magnitude.
Toss out some of his nagging injuries, and the fact is James, at 37, is playing some of the best basketball of his career, producing his highest scoring average since 2009-10, his first go-round in Cleveland.
As a father, I’m rooting for him, and hope to be in the house on the night the James family finally fulfills this dream.
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