LeBron James' feelings regarding retirement tour revealed

TL;DR

LeBron James has expressed that he does not desire a retirement tour in the NBA, contrary to speculation. He believes it won't influence his decision on when to retire.

Key points

LeBron James does not want a retirement tour.
His decision on retirement is not influenced by a tour.
Fans will not have a final opportunity to see him play through a tour.

LeBron JamesKobe BryantLos Angeles Lakers

LeBron James' feelings regarding retirement tour revealed originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When it comes to LeBron James’ future in the NBA, many have suspected that the star forward would want to embark on a retirement tour before hanging up his signature Nikes, like Kobe Bryant had a decade ago.

The tour would provide fans across the country with one final opportunity to see James play in person and give him his flowers knowing that his days in the league are numbered.

LeBron James doesn't want an NBA retirement tour

However, that might not actually be the case. According to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, a retirement tour isn’t something that James cares about, and won’t factor into his ultimate retirement decision.

From The Athletic:

Team and league sources granted anonymity to speak openly say James has made no decisions regarding his future; that retirement remains a real possibility. The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself.

The hypothetical tour, like so many other things dealing with James, is something people believed he’d want. Just like they believed he’d be unable to meld his style around the Lakers’ guards or stomach the organization prioritizing its future around younger stars.

Technically, this could be viewed as bad news for fans who were pointing to a potential retirement tour as a reason that James wouldn’t decide to retire after the current campaign. If he doesn’t desire a tour, though, James could simply decide to walk away from the game without any additional fanfare.

This story will be updated.

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Q&A

Why doesn't LeBron James want a retirement tour?

LeBron James feels that a retirement tour is not important and will not impact his decision on retirement.

What are LeBron James' plans for retirement from the NBA?

LeBron James has not publicly outlined specific plans for his retirement, stating that a tour is not a factor in his decision.

How does LeBron James' view on retirement tours compare to Kobe Bryant's?

Unlike Kobe Bryant, who had a retirement tour, LeBron James does not wish to have one, emphasizing a different approach to his eventual retirement.