Featured Image Credit: Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images
Topics: Basketball, NBA, LA Lakers, Lebron James, ESPN
James Taylor
Topics: Basketball, NBA, LA Lakers, Lebron James, ESPN
LeBron James, one of the greatest basketball players ever, has been issued a rather brutal retirement warning by former NBA player Olden Polynice.
Now 40 years old, James has enjoyed a fantastic career spanning 21 seasons.
In that time, he was won four NBA Championships and he even became the NBA's leading points scorer two years ago.
Advert
James has won titles at all three franchises he has played for: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Polynice was sharing his thoughts on James' future during an appearance on Bryon Scott's Fast Break over on YouTube. And it doesn't make for nice hearing if you're King James himself who - for now, anyway - still thinks he has something to give on the court.
He said: "The longevity aspect I think it's getting a little bit too much now because I'm like, dude, what else you want to do?
"You know, it's time for you to start thinking about retiring because, like, a fifth ring, he ain't getting no fifth ring unless he buys one."
Advert
It was a disappointing end to the season for James as the LA Lakers were knocked out in the first round of the play-offs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After the game, when asked how much longer he planned to continue playing, he admitted he was unsure.
Advert
"It's something that I will sit down with my family, my wife, and my support group and kind of just talk through and see what happens, and just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play," James said.
This season, James and his son Bronny made history as the first father and son duo to play together in NBA history.
Whether James will be tempted to extend his career to continue playing alongside his son remains unknown.
After James' Lakers were knocked out in the play-offs by the Denver Nuggets in 2024, former player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins told James to quit.
Advert
Speaking on ESPN's First Take podcast he said: "'At the end of the day, I hate to say it, but I believe this in my soul right now - I wish LeBron James would retire.
"Not because I don't want to see more of LeBron James, not because I don't appreciate LeBron James.
"But I honestly believe deep down inside, the more LeBron James continues to play the game of basketball, the more it's going to hurt his legacy and the more it's going to continue to hurt his GOAT argument."
James has to decide if he wants to stay with the Lakers for next season by June 29. ESPN's senior NBA insider Shams Charania said he expects James will opt into his player option.