40 Points in ECF (Eastern Conference Final) is (Still) a High Benchmark to Retire, LeBron Raymone James Sr.

April 13rd, 2016. In his final game, Kobe Bean Bryant scored 60 points, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to score at least 60 points in a game. He was also the first player to score more than 50 points in his final game. The Lakers won the game against the Utah Jazz, 101-96. Lakers failed to reach Playoff.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan’s official last NBA game came on April 16th, 2003. Jordan’s Washington Wizards would face the 76ers in Philadelphia. 40 year old Jordan would score just 15 points in a loss. It is a day that many people will never forget. Jordan was such an icon in the basketball figure and it really felt like there would be no return for him this time. Same April like Kobe because, ya, both Lakers' Kobe and Wizard' Jordan failed to reach playoff.

June 13, 1989 - With his team on the brink of elimination, 42-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took his final bow late in Game 4 of the 1989 NBA Finals. In his 14th and final year as center for the Los Angeles Lakers (spending six years in Milwaukee prior), Abdul-Jabbar finished up with seven points and three rebounds in a 105-97 loss to the Detroit Pistons. L.A. swept its first three opponents in the playoffs (one of them being Seattle), but it could not send Abdul-Jabbar into the sunset with a sixth world championship ring, as injuries to Magic Johnson and Byron Scott resulted in the team being swept in the NBA Finals by the Detroit Pistons.

Still, Abdul-Jabbar’s overall basketball resume is second-to-none.

Nearly similar with Kareem, but LeBron ended in ECF, not NBA Finals.

After 20 years of amazing dunks, spectacular assists, and deserving accolades, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (beat, surpassing Kareem) is considering retirement.

According to a report from Bleacher Report and TNT, NBA superstar LeBron Raymone James Sr shared the shocking revelation following the Los Angeles Lakers being bounced by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals on Monday night.

40 points, although they got swept (0-4) by the Denver Nuggets, in the Eastern Conference Final, again, 40, it's really a benchmark. If LeBron really retired. Maybe he will never ever close his career with 40 points next year, 2 years from now, 3 years from now—if Bron push himself to keep playing and maybe play alongside his son Bronnie in NBA court. . 

I’m fans another “JAMES”: Harden (James Edward Harden, Jr.)

Lakers vs Nuggets last night, awkwardly, another same coincidence: "I'M A NIKE GUY" 

20 years ago (May 22nd, 2001), 18-year-old LeBron James signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike.   

Reebok reportedly offered $115 million & Adidas offered less than $60 million.

I’m a fan of adidas, not nike.

During the postgame press conference, when asked how he’ll evaluate this season, he reflected on the things he and his teammates went through, from the team’s poor start in October to their impressive playoff run.

He later continued, “I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”

He later clarified his comments to TNT and Bleacher Report reporter Chris Haynes, saying he’s not sure if he’ll be with the team at the beginning of the 2023-2024 NBA season.

This is shocking news for a myriad of reasons. For one, despite being 38 years old, LeBron is still really freaking good at basketball. On Monday night, in the Lakers’ game four loss to the Nuggets, James put up 40 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists.

But after staring at NBA Twitter for hours and looking for the best theories, conspiracies and reasons for James’ possible retirement, there seem to be some good reasons.

The most popular theory is that he will retire for a year, watch Bronny play his freshman year at USC, heal his injured foot and then come back to whatever team his son potentially signs to, like Wob’s argue (*also same day Carmelo Kyam Anthony retire).

Also, it could be that he’s tired after playing 20 consecutive seasons of NBA basketball. LeBron has been in the NBA for more than half of his life. He’s spent more time being in the NBA than he has not. Despite him being a freak athlete, the time was eventually going to come where the wear and tear on his body would make even James have to consider his basketball future.

King James has shaped the way a generation has consumed basketball. He’s been an example of how to play on the court and carry yourself off of it. I hope he allows fans to appreciate his excellence during an entire NBA season, similar to Kobe Bryant’s “farewell tour” with the Lakers during the 2016-2016 season.

So if LeBron James does walk away, I hope he gives us a chance to say goodbye.

(Promoting to more engage in Substack) Seamless to listen to your favorite podcasts on Substack. You can buy a better headset to listen to a podcast here (GST DE352306207). Listeners on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or Pocket Casts simultaneously. podcasting can transform more of a conversation. Invite listeners to weigh in on episodes directly with you and with each other through discussion threads. At Substack, the process is to build with writers. Podcasts are an amazing feature of the Substack. I wish it had a feature to read the words we have written down without us having to do the speaking.