Why Paul Pierce thinks LeBron James should retire

May 15, 2026 - 22:45

LeBron James just completed his 23rd season in the NBA. His Lakers were unable to garner a single win in their second-round series against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s clear that James can no longer carry a team deep into the playoffs and he must defer to some of his younger teammates.

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

It is for that reason that Hall of Famer Paul Pierce believes it is time for James to retire from the sport. While Pierce knows that James is still a productive player and could contribute, he does not like the way James is perceived by many observers in or around the sport. Pierce believes that James takes too much criticism at this point, and he does not think a 41-year-old who is clearly one of the game’s all-time greats should be hearing any criticism at this point in his career.

“Just like for the simple fact that at the age that he still receives the criticism that he still does,” Pierce said on a recent podcast with former teammate Kevin Garnett. “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. For the simple fact the man is 41 and we still critiquing him like he 25 and should be winning championships still.”

James played 60 games this season and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. He shot 51.5 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line. James has not announced whether he will return for a 24th season in the NBA.

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