Things got heated Tuesday morning on ESPN’s First Take when Stephen A. Smith and JJ Redick traded barbs discussing LeBron James’s potential retirement.
James floating retirement possibilities have led to discussions revolving around whether he has ulterior motives at play, attempting to use the threat of retirement to send a message about players he wants around him moving forward. While Redick emphasized that James’s comments were likely “calculated,” he also spoke to the wear and tear James’s body has gone through in his career and took a jab at Smith in the process.
“It’s not just for a calculated reason. [James] is coming off year 20, age 38, a long playoff run where he has had to play a ton of minutes with an injury,” Redick said. “It’s just human nature that you would begin to say, ‘maybe I’m nearing the end.’”
