INDIANAPOLIS — Lakers star LeBron James, who’s playing his 21st NBA season, doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge the obvious, that he’s on the tail end of his playing career.
“I am,” James said during his media availability ahead of Sunday’s All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, his NBA-record 20th All-Star appearance. “I promise you.”
He’s not as sure about how long he has left.
“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left,” James said. “I know it’s not that many.”
And will his storied career end with him as a Laker?
“I am a Laker, and I am happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years, and hopefully it stays that way,” James said. “But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in.
“Hopefully it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization and so many greats. But we’ll see. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming, for sure.”
James’ comments came a few days after it was reported that the Golden State Warriors reached out to see whether they could pry the 20-time All-Star and four-time MVP out of Los Angeles.
Golden State Warriors governor Joe Lacob, with the encouragement of Warriors forward Draymond Green, who is a client of Klutch Sports Group’s Rich Paul – who’s also James’ agent – reached out to the Lakers about acquiring James, according to a Wednesday report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski that cited unnamed sources.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka both made it clear that the Lakers want to keep the four-time MVP and had no desire to trade him, but Buss told Lacob to reach out to Paul for clarity on James’ desires, the report states.
Paul told Lacob and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. that James didn’t have any interest in a trade according to the report, which added that James wants to remain a Laker and is also focused on returning to the Lakers in the offseason…
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