He wants to be a competitor and not just a basketball player. There is a time and a place for it.
Back in the arena where he played arguably the best basketball of his career, he was asked to look to the future rather than back into the past and share how long he plans to play in the NBA.
When asked how many more seasons he has left, James said he didn't have a number. I can play at this level for a short time if I keep my mind in it. That is up to me. If my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I'll keep working.
The 20-year veteran had another strong night, leading the Lakers in points, rebound, and assists. The Lakers dropped to 13th place out of 15 teams in the Western Conference after losing for the ninth time in their past 13 games.
James has a player option on the second year of his contract with the Lakers, but he said his mental approach will ultimately determine how long he stays with the team.
James thinks that winning is the fountain of youth.
James said that he wants to win. I want to win and compete for titles. Since I entered the league as a teenager, my goal has always been to play in the league.
Playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my genes. I don't have it in my genes anymore. We will see how fresh my mind is over the next two years.
James' time with the Lakers has been the most difficult part of his career. He made five trips to the NBA Finals and won a championship and the Finals Most Valuable Player. In Miami, there were four trips to the Finals, four trips to the Finals with two Finals Most Valuable Players.
The Lakers have struggled this season.
While the subject of James' longevity came up with his 38th birthday, his decision to answer the question in the manner he did could have been an attempt to apply pressure on the Lakers' front office to make a trade to field a more competitive roster.
Since Anthony Davis went down with a stress injury in his foot, James has made subtle comments about L.A.'s situation.
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said at the team's media day in September that it would be his duty to field a competitive team around James.
We have one of the best players in the game, and he committed to us on a long-term contract, a three-year contract." Pelinka said that they will do everything they can, picks included, to make deals to help the player get to the end. He made a commitment to our organization. It needs to be a bilateral commitment.
The idea of how long a player's prime is supposed to be has been reinvented by James. His 27.8 points-per-game average is ninth in the NBA and his minutes per game are 19th.
After the loss in Miami, the Lakers coach said that he was a fierce competitor. We are having our ups and downs. We're not on the right side of victory. He won't allow himself to be taken out of the picture. He does a great job of making himself available and being able to produce at a high level, which is something I have never seen before.
Dennis Schroder, James' teammate, said in a recent interview that James told him he wanted to play seven more years until he was 45.
It might not have been plucked out of the sky. Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl at the age of 43, making him the oldest player to win a Super Bowl.
"The NBA needs him, and how special it will be for James to potentially have the opportunity to play in the league with one, or both, of his sons," said Schroder in an interview.
James said he has a lot to think about as he prepares to blow out the candles on his birthday cake.
James thinks about how long he's going to play. I don't want to end my career as a team player. I know what I can bring to any ball club, so I'll be able to compete for titles.
My son is going off to college and I'm still playing. My youngest son will be a junior next year. I think about a bit of everything during the course of a day. Are you aware?
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