Saying goodbye to the 2023 NBA Playoffs with a 4-0 loss to the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James shared something that surprised many people, which was that he “needs to think a lot about whether to continue playing or not”.
The basketball world is divided into two groups in reaction to this news. Some believe that LeBron is really considering retirement, while others believe that this is just a “wind blow” from James, putting pressure on the LA Lakers leadership to have a better lineup.
As for the experts, they didn’t really believe what LeBron James shared after the Game 4 loss that day.
Many reputable journalists and NBA experts do not believe that LeBron James wants to retire.
Writer Dan Woike of the prestigious newspaper The Los Angeles Times said:
“No one in my network has mentioned LeBron James retiring. The biggest reason that people close to the Lakers have shared is that LeBron is quite tired after a season of ups and downs, feeling frustrated after being swept 4-0.
This can be seen as a warning bell that LeBron wants to send to the Los Angeles Lakers leadership that the door to competing for the championship is closing. They need to act soon to maintain and improve the quality of the squad.
Is LeBron James tired of losing or is he sending a warning to the Los Angeles Lakers?
Several other prominent journalists have shared similar sentiments. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote that LeBron’s retirement is unlikely, and that James will even continue to play for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Sources close to LeBron James believe he will definitely play his 21st season, completing at least one year of his $97 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported.
The question is not whether LeBron will retire or not, but what the Los Angeles Lakers will do in the transfer market, especially with the main PG position next to the superstar duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
ESPN believes that LeBron’s actions are a call to the Los Angeles Lakers leadership to make the right moves in the transfer market.
Yahoo Sports added: “There is no reason for James to retire when his $97 million contract extension has not yet started (a two-year term, starting in the 2023-24 season).”
After his 20th season in the NBA, LeBron James has conquered every achievement that an NBA player can have. From MVP, Finals MVP to All-Star, All-NBA and championship rings, the “king” has collected them all.
Climbing to No. 1 on the all-time scoring list, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s seemingly unbreakable record, is the latest milestone LeBron has achieved this past season.
The moment LeBron James celebrated becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer
“Where Is The Flag On Beyoncé“: Social Media Is Destroying The NFL After Cameras Caught Beyonce’s Disgusting Gesture During Her Halftime Performance On Christmas Day
Beyonce (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The NFL and Beyonce are being criticized on the back of the latter’s halftime performance during the Christmas Day showdown between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
The fixture, streamed exclusively on Netflix, saw the Ravens pick up a convincing 31-2 victory.
Beyonce gave the crowd quite the performance at halftime but sparked some controversy after making a gun gesture with her fingers.
Fans Wanted Fines And Flags For Beyonce
Fans thought it strange that Beyonce could bust out the guns while NFL players get fined for it. They thought she should have at least gotten flagged.
“Where is the flag on Beyoncé for the finger guns?!?!” someone asked.
“Queen Bey’s tone-deaf finger gun display at Netflix’s Christmas game highlights celebrity privilege, while NFL players get fined for basic touchdown celebrations,” a user chimed in.
“Would just like to note that Beyoncé is doing the double gun gesture which is banned in the NFL and a 15 yard penalty,” someone else added.
“Xavier worthy gets a 15 yard penalty for lifting his shirt (pretending he has a gun in his belt) but Beyoncé can fake shoot at halftime? “Bang” Does the NFL fine her?” a fan asked.
Of course, the league couldn’t have known the artist would perform such a gesture and probably didn’t brief her accordingly. But she could well afford to pay any fine thrown at her if there were any possibility.
Beyonce Has Been Taking On Criticism From Elsewhere Heading Into The End Of The Year
Beyonce has come under fire elsewhere in recent months, given the scrutiny now being afforded to celebrities with close ties to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in the wake of his arrest.
Her husband, Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter, was recently named in a lawsuit alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl. The rapper has denied the allegations and gone on the offensive.
Beyonce herself has been accused of possibly taking part in questionable activity involving children, with former NFL star Larry Johnson claiming he heard her saying something very offputting to a child at a party.
The artist’s newest album, “Cowboy Carter,” has been a source of controversy as well. While it denotes her Texas heritage, it has split the opinion as some have praised her creativity while others feel like it’s overly s3xualized.