LeBron James and the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers have their backs against the wall with a 3-1 deficit to the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round playoff series.
The Lakers had a chance to tie the series up at 2-2 in a Game 4 matchup at Minneapolis’ Target Center, but ultimately fell with heartbreaking 116-113 final score. Now, James’ team faces elimination at home on Wednesday night.
James, 40, is in the midst of his 22nd NBA season. Each year, the concern regarding his eventual retirement grows among basketball fans.
There are some fans concerned that Wednesday night’s Game 5 matchup could be James’ final game in the NBA.
“Just the thought of Wednesday possibly being LeBron’s last game ever,” one fan wrote.
“They saying LeBron last game ever gonna be on Wednesday if they lose,” another said.
“As the Lakers face the Timberwolves in Game 5 on Wednesday, we may see LeBron James’ final game. At 40, he dropped 38 pts in Game 3, a record for his age. Let’s celebrate the King’s 22 yrs of iconic dunks, buzzer-beaters, & leadership,” another added.
“Are we watching LeBron’s last game tmrw?” another asked.
James addressed questions about his eventual retirement during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“For me, it’s about my mind. I’m all about the process,” he said. “If it gets to the point where I don’t feel like showing up to the arena five hours in advance. Or I don’t feel like training. Or I don’t feel like studying the scout sheet of guys. If it gets to that point, I’ll know, ‘You know what, Bron, that’s a wrap.’ I will be able to tell.”
James averaged 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in his first four games against the Timberwolves. He recorded a 27-point, 12-rebound double-double and played 46 minutes in Sunday’s closely-contested Game 4 loss.
Game 5 will tipoff at 10 p.m. ET from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.
