‘I don’t want to finish my career playing at this level’: LeBron James admits his priority is winning as he nears his 38th birthday after LA Lakers’ big loss at Miami drops them to 14-21 on the season
- LeBron James does not want this to be how his illustrious career peters out
- On a personal level, James is thriving and he performed again with 27 points
- Though the LA Lakers disappointed once more as they lost to Miami 112-98
- Currently, LA sit third-last in the Western Conference with a paltry 14-21 record
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LeBron James isn’t satisfied despite a stellar 20th season on an individual front as the LA Lakers continue to slide.
In his return to Miami, the Lakers never looked likely, trailing sizably at the end of each quarter in a 112-98.
James was again the standout for LA, scoring 27 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing six assists.
Though it is far from enough to satisfy the appetite of one of the NBA’s greatest ever, who was in a philosophical mood postgame.
‘I don’t want to finish my career playing at this level, from a team aspect,’ James said postgame.
LeBron James top-scored for the Lakers as he had in seven of their previous eight NBA games
‘I want to still be able to compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ballclub with the right pieces.
‘I think about my son graduating high school soon and going off to college and I’m still playing and my youngest son will be a junior next year and how much more time I’ll miss.’
Despite NBA mortality nearing, the ultimate desire has not and will not alter for the 37-year-old.
‘I’m a winner and I want to win,’ James remarked. ‘And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That has always been my passion, that has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio.
On his return to Miami, James had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the 112-98 loss
‘And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA. It’s not in my DNA anymore.
‘So, we’ll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple years.’
The loss in James’s former arena dropped the once-perennially winning franchise to 14-21 on the season.
James reunited with old friend Udonis Haslem as the Lakers’ lost again, falling to a paltry 14-21
It is the Lakers’ fifth loss in six games. ‘The King’ has top-scored for LA in seven of its last eight — only missing out against the Suns after not playing due to injury.
LA are dead last in the Pacific division of the West, four games back from the Golden State Warriors and 10 behind the leading Clippers.
As for the Western Conference, it doesn’t read much better with the Lakers 13th of 15 teams — only San Antonio and Houston have worse records.
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