The NBA future for LeBron James is up in the air, and former NBA star Paul Pierce thinks “King James” should retire, for an unusual reason.
During an appearance on Kevin Garnett’s podcast, KG: Certified, Pierce explained that James should retire due to the criticism that the Los Angeles Lakers star receives at the age of 41.
Garnett asked if Pierce thinks James should retire.
“Yeah, I think he should, man,” Pierce explained. “Just like for the simple fact that at the age that he still receives the criticism that he still does. The greats wasn’t getting this criticism late. Nobody was criticizing Kobe (Bryant) when he wasn’t going to the playoffs in his last year. They was just enjoying his moments. Like, the same with (Michael) Jordan in Washington.”
Paul Pierce says he thinks LeBron James should retire:
“Just like for the simple fact that at the age that he still receives the criticism that he still does. The greats wasn’t getting this criticism late. Nobody was criticizing Kobe when he wasn’t going to the playoffs in his… pic.twitter.com/1gzMrMvQwi
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 15, 2026
“For the simple fact that the man is 41, and we still critiquing him like he 25 and should be winning championships still.. Just the criticism he gets still. He still gets criticism,” Pierce continued.
James, who turns 42 on Dec. 30, averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game this season while shooting 51.5 percent from the field. And in the postseason, James averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
The Lakers were swept in a four-game series by the defending champion — and current title favorite — Oklahoma City Thunder, but James and the Lakers had very little chance in that matchup, especially with Luka Dončić out for the final three games due to an injury.
James is no longer the same player who was named the NBA Finals MVP four times, but he’s still a very good NBA player and would likely remain so next season and potentially beyond. Additionally, he’s gotten to play with his son, Bronny, for the last two years, and being able to continue that may still appeal to him.
When James ultimately decides to retire, it’s unlikely to be because he’s tired of hearing the criticism. After all, he’s been heavily criticized for the last 20-plus years (Skip Bayless, as an example, made it a daily task for many of those years), and he’s still managed to put together a legendary career through the noise.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.