- If LeBron James retires, it's because of everything all at once
- Always assume politics with LeBron
- A door you can't shut again
I'm fond of saying LeBron James is all things at once.
He's a kid from Akron who was living out of his car with his mom before becoming literally a billionaire.
He's the man who turned his back on Cleveland and also the man who returned and brought them a title.
He's the originator of the Superstar Empowerment Era and a player who has always a bsolutely loved and relied on the bonds of teamwork.
James is at once maybe the smartest player, basketball-IQ-wise, to ever step on a hardwood floor, and the guy who constantly made erroneous choices for his preferred teammates.
On Monday night, he was all things again. He was a great and powerful champion who played all but four seconds of an elimination game, scoring 40 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists. He was also a player who fell short of his championship aspirations again.
He was at once let down by his teammates, most especially his hand-picked superstar running mate who got stuffed in a locker by the Western Conference Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic, and also the man who after the game, struck at the Lakers' front office, his teammates and the Nuggets at once.
After the Lakers' Game 4 loss to Denver in the Western Conference Finals, James asserted that he was going to take some time and 'consider” if he wanted to continue to play.
He told ESPN that he would at least consider “walking away” from the NBA this summer.
It's the first time James has ever suggested such a thing. After all, he's coming off another amazing season and playoff run, and while he finished the season hampered by a foot injury that would have required surgery otherwise, nothing else really seemed to be preventing James from playing, and playing at a high level, into the future.
James's comments seemed tinged with emotion and raw in the aftermath of a series that many believed the Lakers would win based on their star profile and historical dominance, regardless of Denver being younger, better and holding home-court advantage.
Ins tead of being upset with the ending of the Lakers' season at Crypto.com Arena, raging at the need to get better, James seems fed up.