"Final march rather than Last Dance" - NBA analyst predicts LeBron James' retirement plans

LeBron James begins his 22nd NBA season this fall, and questions abound about his competitive future. James hasn't hinted at retiring from basketball but experts believe he will soon. ESPN's Dave McMenamin predicts what the final days of the four-time champion's career will look like.

Fans expect a farewell tour for James's last season. The latest farewell tour was for his former teammate Dwyane Wade, who was welcomed by every NBA city he visited in his final year.

McMenamin believes James's final season will be similar to D-Wade's.

"I wouldn't start looking at like this is going to be the clock is starting to tick down on his career, where he would walk away from the Lakers and retire because they had struggled throughout the season. He's gonna be on his own timeline, and I think when it's the final march of LeBron, perhaps final march rather than last dance, we're all gonna know.

"It's gonna be must-see TV. It's gonna be the LeBron tour coming to town throughout the 28 NBA cities, culminating in a spectacular farewell."

After televising his free agency decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010, the expert believes James won't let the chance to do something similar pass. LBJ's final season will allow fans and media to appreciate his legacy.

No news on James' potential retirement has been made public. This is likely because he still wants to play with his son Bronny and possibly contend for another title.

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LeBron James' farewell tour is in the new NBA 2K game

NBA 2K25 was released on Sept. 6, and fans are getting a feel for the game. However, users were surprised to see a feature involving LeBron James' future in the league.

2K25 gamers can simulate LBJ's retirement. Legion Hoops posted a screenshot of that simulation where the Lakers star exchanges jerseys with Golden State Warriors icon Steph Curry.

Since LeBron still performs at a high level and hasn't mentioned retiring, fans believe the feature is simply the video game's slightly premature tribute to the groundbreaking forward.