Former NBA champion calls for LeBron James to retire after this season

James has avoided talks of his potential retirement in recent months. The fact is, even at his current age, he's still a top-15 player in the world and could make an impact on any roster in the NBA. Sure, he's not the defensive force he once was, and has to pick his moments when driving to the rim, but for his age, there's very little he's not capable of doing on the floor.

Last season, James consistently filled the box score for the Lakers. In 70 games, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from deep.

LeBron James will miss the start of the new NBA season

The reason why Perkins has likely chosen now to call for James' retirement is because the veteran superstar is expected to miss the opening weeks of the new season. ESPN's Shams Charania has reported that James is suffering from sciatica in his right side.

Despite James' nerve ailment, there's no reason to believe that he will struggle once he's eventually on the court. For the most part, James has been a consistent picture of health during his career. If he's lucky, he will continue to have the opportunity to bow out on his own terms.

Sooner or later, James will decide to step away from the NBA and begin the second chapter of his life. However, he's earned the right to make that choice when the time comes, and for that reason, we should hope that former players stop trying to push him toward the exit door.