Retirement on horizon for LeBron James? Lakers legend opens up about missing family on holidays

Sami Haider

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Retirement on horizon for LeBron James? Lakers legend opens up about missing family on holidays image

LeBron James is not feeling excited for the Christmas Day game this year, unlike the last 19 holiday games. 

After losing to the Los Angeles Clippers, The King opened up about his 20th consecutive holiday game schedule but the 40-year-old's emotional confession hints at something very different that Laker fans don't want to hear now.

His latest comments about playing on the holiday have led to endless retirement speculation across the league.

LeBron James not feeling excited for Christmas Day game this year

James's tone seemed drastically down when he was talking about Christmas this year. He sounded far less enthusiastic about suiting up on December 25th. That change in attitude has everyone wondering if the four-time champion might be finally seeking to become a 24-hour family man. 

James didn't hide his feelings ahead of his record 20th Christmas Day appearance. "I'd much rather be at home with my family. But I mean, it's the game, it's the game that I love. It's a game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on Christmas," he said following the Lakers' 103-88 loss to the Clippers. 

Bron continued, "It's always been an honor to play it. Obviously, I'm gonna be completely honest, I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day. But our number is called, so we have to go out and perform, and I look forward to it."

Quite frankly, when he said “I look forward to it,” it didn’t feel genuine like his past Christmas Day excitement. The loss to Clippers may also explain his down tone, as the Lakers performed underwhelmingly despite his sensational 36-point game. 

Just to recap, his last year’s remake told a completely different story. After pulling off a classic show against the Golden State Warriors, Bron spoke to reporters with energy and excitement about playing on the Christmas Day stage.

"Getting the opportunity to play the game we love on such a beautiful day. Today is the day of giving, and that's what me and Steph continue to do for our fans, for our beautiful game," James said last year before the holiday game.

James framed that as a significant natural shift. He said thinking about retirement helps him value the present, then turned his focus to his family, wishing them a Merry Christmas and saying he couldn’t wait to get home. 

That energy was nowhere present in the press conference after the Clippers game. He looked less like a hardwood guy and more like a family man. 

However, the shift didn't happen overnight. James has been dropping hints about hanging it up throughout the season. He told reporters in November he's "not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest."

The Lakers’ struggles have only fueled retirement talk as the title window appears to be closing. LeBron has always said he wants to finish with a championship, but his priorities sound different now.

That shift suggests his thinking has changed, and it may only be a matter of time before he makes a final decision.

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Staff Writer