El Segundo, California – It marked the 40-year-old superstar's first game when LeBron James headed to the Los Angeles Lakers' media day court on his No. 23 jersey on Monday.
After the season begins, James will be the only player in NBA history to play 23 seasons, breaking the tie with Vince Carter. This is the first time James has had his eight seasons with the Lakers, and he is about to expire his contract and enters a season.
Despite the unique circumstances – James said that an All-Star team, the second All-Star team in the All-NBA team, won 21 All-Star games without the team's long-term financial commitment. James said his contract status would not affect his performance this season.
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“It won't make any impact,” James told ESPN. “I'm very excited about the challenges and excitement of our team. We added a few new players. We got another year with our company with the coaching staff last year. [Doncic] The guy with me is with another year. So excited.
“And I'm not worried about contracts at this point in my career. It won't bother me at all.
James exercised the $52.6 million player option for the season in June. During the contract decision, Rich Paul, his agent and CEO of Crac Sports, told ESPN's Shams Charania that James “want to compete for the championship” and that “he knew the Lakers were building their efforts for the future.”
Paul added: “We understand the difficulties of winning in preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate LeBron's best suit for LeBron in his life and career.”
Los Angeles was the third-place seed in the Western Conference last season, losing to the Minnesota No. 6 Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
When ESPN asked what would constitute a successful Lakers season, Doncic had one thing. “Win the championship. That's the goal,” he said.
James has a more refined answer when asked the same question. “We're going to go into details every day. We have to go into details. The Western Conference is a glove. The league is tough and we have to go into details in every aspect of the game, offense and defense. We have to take responsibility for each other. [always] Lead to victory? No, I mean, it's a beat out of the league; even if you play well, you won't win the game. Sometimes, when you play badly and you still win. This is part of the game.
“But we have to pay attention to the details, and I think we will do that.”
James sprained his left knee in the Lakers knockout against Minnesota, and said he focused on preparing his body to maintain 82 games.
“It's always a challenge: how can I get my body close to 100%?” he said. “Obviously, obviously, the feet have given me a little problem from time to time throughout the past few seasons. So it's always been a challenge to see how I get my body close to 100% of the challenge I can run high here. Go to the process of getting there.”
With the opening of the camp, the first full exercise on Tuesday, James hints that he might be subject to restrictions.
When asked about his plan to go to training camp and preseason, James told ESPN, “It remains to be seen.” “Obviously, I want to do my best…but we know where I am and the coaching staff know where I am, as long as I get to a good place where we all play.”
“This is my 23 years of game. I have a lot of miles in the game. I've been training throughout the offseason, but my presence will be important as well. Make sure that even if I'm not on the floor, I'll always fit what we're doing, so I always know what's going on. So look forward to that.”
Although James didn't say when he would call it a career, he made it clear that his decision wouldn't take up second-old son, Bryce James, to the league. “I wasn't waiting for Bryce,” James said of the University of Arizona freshman guard. “He has his own schedule. I have a schedule and I don't know if they match exactly.”
James also said he will monitor his psychological methods and how his body deals with grinding in the future when he thinks he is retired.
“For me, just am I still excited about the process? Am I still motivated by the process every year?” James told ESPN. “Prepare my body. Prepare my mind. Work on my body, training and things of that nature, prepare for the whole season.
“I think once I don't love the process, I'll know it. Then, that might be my end.”