If LeBron James returns next season with a clear understanding that it’s his final year, whether he wants it or not there’s going to be some sort of retirement tour.
That would be to James’ chagrin, Derek Fisher believes.
James is a free agent this offseason, and everything from a return to the Lakers to retirement seems to be on the table. While James himself might have a particular leaning, he hasn’t put that on display publicly.
But if James come back this fall for what will be his age-42 season, it will be hard to believe next season isn't it. And in such a case, there is going to be commemoration throughout the season, which Fisher said Monday on the "Derek & Decker" debut show that he doesn't believe would be James' preference.
“I don't know if LeBron wants all of the stuff that comes with a retirement whatever," Fisher said. "Like every game, there's a ceremony, a video on the jumbotron, somebody wants to present him with a rocking chair.
"LeBron is is one of the greatest creatures of habit and routine we will ever see. And leading up to games, I don't think he wants all of the extra stuff that will go into every single game knowing that this is his last year, because that's going to change his whole pregame routine. He takes a nap at a certain time, he gets to the arena at a certain time, he goes out to shoot at a certain time, he doesn't talk to the media before the game, like there's so many things that once you open that door to like, ‘Now, I'm basically on TV while I'm still playing.,' I don't think he's interested in that from a performance perspective. Will the league need that probably? Yeah, probably so.”
Indeed, the league would absolutely blow out a James retirement tour. It would make sense if said tour happens while he’s with the Lakers – or say, if he returned to the Cavs. But that’s part of the calculus facing James right now.
The NBA legend theoretically could go to a team better-suited to win right away. But the Lakers aren’t a lost cause as currently constructed, James’ son is signed to them, and it’s a storied franchise.
And from a basketball perspective, the continuity there might finally exist enough to where it makes sense for James to ride things out with the Lakers.
“Part of the LeBron era has been like so much turnover,” Fisher said. “Whether it's been, you know, a few different coaches, the roster has turned over significantly, you kind of trade away or move away from developing young talent and drafting well, and then kind of building your team through that process.
"(But) whenever a guy like LeBron joins your team, it's championship or bust. So then you kind of swing for the fences every year trying to find the right free agent, the right trade at the trade deadline, you know, the right veteran in the buyout market, you know, after the trade deadline ends, etc. And so, I think this year we finally started to see the benefit of LeBron, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, um, there's a couple other guys I'm blanking on at the moment, that have been together for three, four, five years.”
You can stay up to date on LeBron’s free agency saga with 97.1 The Fan, the first-ever FM all-sports station in Los Angeles. Here’s the full programming schedule:
6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PT: “Derek & Decker” with Derek Fisher and Cody Decker
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT: “Brock & Alex” with Brock Vereen and Alex Curry
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT: “D-Mac & Reiter” with Doug McKain and Bill Reiter
