LeBron James shuts down retirement rumors with epic speech at ESPY Awards -"That day is not today"

LeBron James recently won the Best Record-Breaking Performance of the Year award at the 2023 ESPY Awards.

James spoke about how much he loves the game of basketball and how he will continue to do so. He also discussed how he approaches the game and how he would never cheat when playing the sport. James emphasized that he will always give it his all on the court.

LeBron James finally addressed the elephant in the room: whether he's going to retire or not. He said that he's been pondering the idea of retiring for a couple of years. He added that he will be done playing basketball once he can't give it his all on the hardwood anymore.

Fortunately, that won't be happening anytime soon as LeBron confirmed that he's sticking around for a while.

"When the season ended, I said I wasn't sure if I was gonna keep playing," James said. "In that moment, i'm asking myself if I can still play. Can I give everything to the game still? Truth is, I've been asking myself this question for a couple of years now."

He continued:

"The day I can't give the game everything on the floor is the day I'll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today."

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Does LeBron James still have anything left in the tank?

Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors - Game Five

Now that LeBron James has said that he isn't retiring anytime soon, we can expect to see him play in his 21st season this year. Nevertheless, the question now is what we can expect from him. James is turning 39 this December, and many fans are concerned that father time will finally get to him this season.

"King" James showed signs of aging last season when he could no longer sprint back and forth regularly. Most of his short bursts of energy translated into him getting exhausted for the next few minutes of play. That's the reason why James took more jump shots last year against constantly attacking inside the paint.

Despite the setbacks, it doesn't mean LeBron James is no longer capable of providing efficient numbers. Last season, he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists, shooting 50% from the field.

His figures are still on par with his previous stats throughout his career. Considering the same, we could expect the same type of performance from LeBron next season.