With 22 years of NBA experience, LeBron James is one of the most outstanding athletes in the world. His dominance in the most competitive basketball league has allowed him to be considered the greatest player in the history of the sport, ahead of Michael Jordan, who currently holds that honor. The current Los Angeles Lakers player knows his retirement date and has expressed it.

LeBron James is aware that after more than two decades of career, the time to say “goodbye” is closer and it is a natural process for all athletes in the world regardless of age. “I’ll give you an example. Nowadays I’m going downhill, when a few years ago I was at the top. When I started my career I was on the other side of the hill and today I’m going downhill. I’m sure of that and it’s very normal for people to ask me about it,” said the Los Angeles Lakers forward in an interview on the Pat McAfee show.

LeBron James’ NBA retirement date

When asked by the journalist, the Los Angeles Lakers star revealed the moment when he should retire from the NBA. “The date is very clear. For me, the day I have no motivation to go to training, when I no longer have the illusion of playing a game, when I do not even start to review the books of analysis, plays, strategies, that will be the moment when I retire from basketball,” said the four-time NBA champion.

Although it seems like a very open answer, the truth is that in the rest of his statements he knows that the road is shorter than the one he started in 2003, when he made his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It’s all a process and it’s all in the mind. I know I’m closer to retirement than when I started my career and when it happens I’ll say: ‘LeBron, this decision is personal,'” he said, alluding to the fact that neither the media nor the public will influence his decision.

LeBron James’ successful career with several NBA teams

As mentioned, he made his debut with the Cleveland team in 2003 and stayed for seven seasons without winning the title for the Cavaliers. In a media scandal, he was signed by the Miami Heat with whom he spent four seasons (2010 – 2014) and where he won two championships. He then returned to Cleveland where he won a title and realized the dream of giving that fan base an NBA title.

Finally, in 2018 he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and to date he remains a reference for the team where in 2020 he won his fourth title in his career. Although the Los Angeles management has allocated millions of dollars to accompany LeBron’s game, a new championship has not yet reached the Lakers’ showcase. Will there be time to see “King James” conquer his fifth NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers?