On May 26, Beijing time, Shams reported on the show: "In the final months of the season, James has been playing with a torn tendon injury in his foot and may need surgery this summer. I think he's going to need a couple of months to recover and I'm fully confident he'll be playing next season. ”
James' tendon laceration occurred on Feb. 27. In the third quarter of the Lakers' game against the Lone Ranger, James suffered this injury. He missed the next 13 games and returned on March 27. Medical experts say James will undergo a comprehensive examination this summer to determine the status of his tendon recovery before deciding whether to undergo surgery.
In this year's 16 playoff games, James averaged 38.7 minutes per game, and in the last five games of the Lakers, James played more than 40 minutes in four games. That included the West Final G4, who took only 4 seconds off.
Shams previously reported that he thinks James has two years left in his career and said he would be surprised if James chooses to retire this offseason. In an interview with ESPN, James said he would consider whether to continue playing next season. But now it is widely believed that James will still play in his 21st season.
At the time, ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin asked James: "When you say you have to think about something, how should we interpret it?" ”
James' response was: "(Considering) if I still want to keep playing." ”
Dave asked, "Next season?" ”
James said, "Yes. ”
Dave then asked, "Will you leave this alliance?" ”
James' response was, "I'll have to think about it." ”
Basketball experts and Lakers teammates are not convinced that James will actually retire this year. Troy Brown Jr. said: "Personally, I feel that with his love for the game, he will continue to play in this league. A source also said James' resignation was based on a long season of difficult losses.
Lakers general manager Pelinka and head coach Hamm also told reporters that they plan to give James enough time to decide his future.
Former NBA star Carter also talked about James on the show. Carter said: "I said 2020 would be my last year, and although I said it, I wasn't sure at the time... LeBron wanted to play with his son, someone said, maybe he realized that Brownie didn't think so. Brownie can face that very well because he has a lot of pressure and you know some people will want him to get out of control and I would give Brownie praise. In my retirement experience, LeBron can still play at a high level, and he has a lot to decide. ”
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract with the Lakers last September, including a $50.6 million player option for the 2024-25 season. There's no denying that he still has the ability to play high-level basketball, shooting 15-of-25 from the field for 40 points in G4, and averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in this year's playoffs. Despite missing 27 games in the regular season, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team.