LeBron James’ perpetual dominance on the basketball court has made him a polarizing figure. Whether you love or hate him, he has been a household name for over two decades. For the large contingent of people salivating at the thought of LeBron finally retiring, I have bad news for you. After his recent farce, it appears he has no intentions of slowly fading away, neither from basketball nor the spotlight.

Immediately after falling victim to a sweep in the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James shared he would seriously contemplate retirement. While most people saw right through this publicity stunt, others gave credence to LeBron’s incendiary statement.

This sent the NBA world into a frenzy, generating discussions on social media and basketball talk shows, yet in reality, it was just a sorry attempt by LeBron to cope with his team’s failure in the postseason. He figured that since he could no longer garner attention on the court, he could try and do so off the court. 

Several days ago, LeBron confirmed at the ESPYs that he would return to the court next season. Rather than taking a more subtle approach, LeBron took advantage of the spotlight and announced his return in a “valiant” speech. Once again, LeBron became the center of attention in the news. Contrary to LeBron’s expectations, however, the world has been very critical of LeBron’s charade - myself included. Evidently, humility is not a trait that LeBron particularly exhibits. If and when LeBron ever decides to retire, I have reservations about LeBron finally removing himself from the spotlight. I am sure that he will persist and continually find excuses to make headlines.