Telling quote proves LeBron James remains confident

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may have floated his own potential retirement following the team's loss in the Western Conference Finals, but he's certainly not doubting his own ability to play at a high level.

Shortly after telling ESPN that he had to think if he wanted to continue to play, he addressed a foot injury back he's been dealing with. James was asked if a full summer of rehab could get him back to being the player he was before. As ESPN's Dave McMenamin revealed, James nodded and when asked why, gave a bluntly honest quote.

"Because I'm still better than 90% of the NBA," he said. "Maybe 95."

Take LeBron's quote however you choose, but the simple fact of the matter is that he's correct. Even at 38 years old, he's one of the premier players and arguably one of the three or four best players in the league, a level which he's played at virtually his entire NBA career.

James averaged nearly a triple-double during the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, and although the Lakers were swept, he was impressive in virtually every facet of the game. The only exception to that would be the first two games of the series, as James shot 0-10 from 3-point range, and after going 3-9 in Game 3, he proceeded to knock down 4-of-7 attempts in Game 4, a masterful performance in which he had 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

While players like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and many others are already on the elite level, James is roughly 10 years or more older than every single one of them. Yet, his numbers remain among the best in the league, and his past two seasons have been the highest scoring marks he's posted in the past 13 years.

James should be back, and if that is the case, expect him to come back hungry for another title after some time off and the Lakers having the opportunity to continue to build around him, even at age 38.