LeBron James sends message to haters as he enters pivotal offseason

By Mike Battaglino
Updated: May 29, 2023

LeBron James again raised the idea of an NBA that doesn’t include him when the Los Angeles Lakers superstar seemingly addressed his haters on Monday.

Using a photo of himself from his high school days, James pondered what people will do when arguably the greatest NBA player of all time is no longer around. In his post, he appears to be quoting the song “What More Can I Say” by Jay-Z.

After being swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets, James made some cryptic remarks about his basketball future. Since then, some have raised doubts about whether or not the 38-year-old is truly considering retirement.

Many folks have mentioned the almost $98 million he has remaining on a two-year contract, his presumable desire for a farewell tour and his previously stated desire to play in the NBA at the same time as his son Bronny.

The elder James played through a foot injury this season that may require surgery this summer. The speculation about his future has added to what already was going to be an interesting offseason for the Lakers, who will try to retain Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura after their impressive play pushed them into the playoffs.

The unexpected run that almost extended into the NBA Finals may have given the Lakers a renewed championship window, and another chance to win a fifth NBA title could be impossible for the elder James to ignore.

The younger James has committed to play at the University of Southern California next season, which means the elder James will have to play at least two more seasons for them to be in the NBA at the same time.

The elder James may have initiated some eye rolls for hinting at a possible retirement and distracting from the Nuggets reaching the NBA Finals for the first time. Now, he again has made some noise on social media just as Game 7 of a historic Eastern Conference Finals is about to be played between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics on Monday night.

But if anyone has earned the right to be the focus of the NBA universe, it’s the elder James. Fans will see how long he wants to continue to draw that attention.