Social media trolls called for LeBron James to bow out of the NBA after the Los Angeles Lakers got eliminated from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets last week. Bron averaged 23.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during the series, but it still wasn’t enough to help his team avoid the sweep.
Bron, 38, has long stated his wish to play with his eldest son, Bronny James who is now only one season away from being able to enter the NBA. However, speculations that the might be done with the game became a topic of discussion after he shared uncertainty about his future.
“We’ll see what happens going forward. I don’t know,” the Lakers star told reporters after game 4 of the Western Conference finals. “I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball.”
While some saw his comments as a way of changing the conversation from the sweep, James seemingly added fuel to the retirement rumors this week when he shared a lyric from Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say” that many suggest is a hint at his retirement.
“I’m supposed to be #1 on everybody list. We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist,” the quote shared on his Instagram stories read.
It’s no secret that James is a huge fan of hip-hop and has often used rap lyrics to relay his thoughts. Last month the four-time MVP quoted another Jay-Z lyric after the Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies and eliminated them from the NBA Playoffs.
“Unlike you little [redacted] I’m a grown ass man. Big shoes to fill [redacted], grown ass pants. Prolly hustled with your pops, go ask your parents. Its apparent you’re staring at a legend,” James wrote, quoting lines from Hov’s song “Trouble” from his 2006 comeback album Kingdom Come.
The respect goes both ways between LeBron James and JAY-Z, earlier this year, Jay-Z paid tribute to James’ ‘greatness’ on TNT after James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s almost 40-year record to become the NBA’s all-time scorer.
“Being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time, that’s excellence,” Jay-Z declared. “Long after you’re gone, people may look at your name and like, ‘That’s what greatness is. There’s not many you can compare LeBron to a 19-time All-Star, a remarkable feat. The all-time scorer, all-time. I mean, what can you say?
“I’ve known LeBron since he was in high school. There was a lot of talk about how amazing he was. We were convinced this guy was super special. He’s been through plenty iterations of the game, and each era, he’s been the best. The chosen one, that’s it.”
