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Charles Barkley Explains Why LeBron James Should Retire Soon

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Wright | Last updated Nov 15, 2024 11:18 PM ET

On an episode of Club Shay Shay earlier this year, Barkley sat down with legendary Broncos tight end and podcast host Shannon Sharpe for an in-depth conversation about the current state of the NBA. Midway through the conversation, Sharpe asked Barkley for his honest take on how much longer LeBron James should play. As usual, Barkley spoke honestly, laying out his reasoning for why LeBron should retire soon.

Although James is still playing at a high caliber, at 39 years old, it's inevitable that the Lakers veteran will start to slow down. Currently, LeBron has won four Championships and is on the verge of breaking two more of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's records for most minutes played and most combined regular season and playoff games played. He's even played long enough to see his own son enter the pros.

Given that there's little else for King James to accomplish, Barkley warned LeBron not to let his ego get the better of him:

"I hope he retires soon, because I hated the way I retired, because I sucked... It ends badly for every jock. Your ego says you can still do it. I remember telling myself my last two years 'ok, I'm going to get myself in great shape this summer. I'm going to have a good year, then I'm going to retire. Then I figured out, playing against air, everybody's good against air, but when that 25 year old is looking at you licking his lips, you're like, 'Oh, sh*t!""

Many NBA greats have held out longer than they should have, leaving themselves susceptible to unnecessary injuries and embarrassing seasons. When you're posting up against young players who grew up idolizing you, those kids want nothing more than to defeat their heroes and make a name for themselves.

Barkley, who never shies away from admitting his own mistakes, went on to explain:

"I hope he retires while he can still play, because I've been there myself, I've seen Patrick Ewing on his last leg, I saw Michael Jordan playing with the Wizards... I was like 'that's the greatest player I've played against. I don't want to see him doing that with the Wizards. I don't want to see any great play when they've passed their prime.'"

Barring some freakish career-ending injury, LeBron will average over 20 points per game again this season and will likely set two more NBA records. He can choose to end his career burning brightly, or he can simmer away. Ultimately, that choice is LeBron's alone. Nevertheless, you've got to admit that Barkley makes a solid point.