The Warriors officially will have the chance to avenge LeBron James for knocking them out of the 2023 NBA playoffs.
James confirmed Wednesday night at the 2023 ESPYS that he’ll return for a 21st NBA season.
“I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or can’t do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me is can I play without cheating this game?
“The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
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James and the Los Angeles Lakers squashed the Warriors’ mission to defend their championship by beating them in six games in the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers, however, met their match in the next round and were swept by the eventual league-champion Denver Nuggets.
James questioned his future in basketball in his press conference following the Lakers’ season-ending loss in Game 4.
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“We’ll see what happens going forward. I don’t know,” James said. “I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest. Just for me, personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
James and the Warriors have met five times in the postseason, including four straight NBA Finals clashes from 2015 to 2018. Golden State won three of those matchups, but James currently holds the bragging rights for his heroics in May.
Now, the Warriors officially have the chance to add to their longtime feud if they match up against the Lakers in next year’s postseason bracket.
Let the rivalry live on.
