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"The day I can't give everything on the floor
is the day I'll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not
today," James said on Wednesday.
A four-time NBA champion and four-time league Most Valuable
Player, James had indicated that retirement was a possibility.
It came just after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the
eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference
Finals.
James played all but four seconds in Game 4. He scored 40 points
and had a floater that could have tied the game blocked in the
final seconds.
"Going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to
think about," he said as he finished meeting with reporters that
night. When asked to elaborate on that comment, he said, "If I
want to continue to play."
James, who has been the Finals MVP four times and is a 19-time
All-Star, averaged 28.9 points last season, slightly up from his
career average of 27.2 per game. He averaged 8.3 rebounds and
6.8 assists in over 35 minutes.
His 50 percent field goal percentage was near the middle of his
annual numbers, and his 32.1 percent on 3-pointers was his
fifth-lowest.
The Lakers were 13-20 after losing 124-115 at Dallas on
Christmas Day. Buoyed by several roster moves, they went 30-19
the rest of the way, then defeated the visiting Minnesota
Timberwolves in overtime in the play-in round to claim the No. 7
seed in the playoffs.
Los Angeles defeated the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and No.
6 Golden State Warriors -- each in six games -- to reach the
conference final.
James' 21st season will be the longest active run in the NBA,
and tie him with Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett and
Dirk Nowitzki. They trail only the 22-year career of Vince
Carter.
--Field Level Media
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