LeBron James claims he doesn’t need Nuggets for motivation

Three days before Western Conference Finals rematch with the Denver Nuggets in the 2023-24 NBA regular season opener on October 24, 38-year-old LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers denied that he is motivated by the reigning champions because he is self-motivated.

“I don’t get motivated against [who] the opponents [are] pretty much anymore,” James said after the training camp practice on Saturday. “I don’t need it. I don’t want to say I don’t get motivated to play, because I do get motivated to go against the competition, I love competing against the best. But I don’t need an individual or a team to motivate me. I’m self-motivated. I’m enough.”

Having played all 48 minutes in Game 4 in the series against the Nuggets, James dropped 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, but still failed to keep the purple and gold from losing the competition 113-111 and the West Finals 4-0. He told ESPN later that he would consider retirement.

Having entered the NBA Finals over the Lakers, the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 4-1 to win their first title in the franchise’s history. During the celebration parade, the Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone was introduced as “the Lakers’ daddy.” Later, he also joked about James’ retirement remarks.

“Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know – this is breaking news – I’m thinking about retiring, so don’t tell anybody,” Malone said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Whether James found Malone’s joke funny or not, he replied on Instagram without specifying whom he was responding to: “I hear I’m on your mind that much, huh??? I mean I guess I see why … Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN.”

It’s unclear when James will retire – despite his age, he is still a dominant player when he needs to – but he apparently wants to win the fifth ring. “[I am] still seeing that Larry O’Brien Trophy in my mind on a daily basis,” he said. “We could be a really, really good team. I don’t even look to June. It’s too precious – the game is too precious – and I don’t play with the basketball gods like that. I don’t take it for granted.”

James missed 27 regular season games last season due to a right ankle injury. He has missed at least 26 games in four of the five seasons since he became a Laker.

“It took a few months, but then when I was able to get back into my workouts, I was able to do some things I wasn’t capable of doing throughout the whole playoffs, probably even before the playoffs,” James said. “My workouts started getting better, my wind started getting better, my quick-twitch started getting better. I didn’t have to think about it as much. It’s great to have that feeling, just have your motor back.”