LeBron James isn’t feeding the retirement chatter, and he’s making that clear as he heads into his 24th season.
The latest wave of speculation picked up after reports linked James to a behind-the-scenes documentary idea, with some suggesting it could mirror Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance.” But that talk didn’t last long once James’ longtime friend and business partner, Maverick Carter, stepped in to shut it down.
“We are NOT doing anything like the “last dance” LeBron doesn’t even know when his last season is,” Carter wrote.
James backed him up by reposting the message, putting his own stamp on the denial. As ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel put it, “Maverick Carter is shooting down speculation of a "Last Dance" documentary of LeBron for ESPN, and LeBron co-signed this message with his retweet,”
The retirement noise comes on the heels of a huge offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers, who first landed Jaylen Brown and then moved into the spotlight as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. That momentum also helped set up the franchise to sign four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
“LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers for his final run at another NBA championship, he announced Friday," ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote. "James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania."
For now, the only thing James is confirming is that nobody has pinned down the end of his career yet. Reports that he plans to retire after next season are still just that - reports.
What does seem certain is where his attention is right now. James is expected to pour everything he has into Philadelphia over the next couple of seasons as he chases another title, with the retirement questions left to linger in the background.
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