LeBron James Insists on Playing Out Season: ’Until You Bury Me 12 Feet Under, Then I Got A Chance’

Despite a rough stretch of recent play for the Lakers, LeBron James insisted that he plans on playing out the season following a 109–104 loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday night.

”We still have games to play,” James told reporters after Los Angeles’s 10th defeat in its last 13 games. ”Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance. So that’s my confidence.”

James, 37, has missed 17 games this season because of injuries but reportedly has no plans to shut down his season, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The veteran forward is determined to play out the Lakers’ campaign, even if a run to the NBA Finals is out of reach.

In his 19th NBA season, James has been magnificent. He’s averaging 28.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, while shooting 52% from the floor and a hair over 35% from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, the rest of James’s teammates have struggled to pick up the mantle, and Los Angeles has stumbled its way through its schedule. 

With 19 regular-season games remaining, the Lakers (27–34) are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, two games clear of the Pelicans and the Blazers, who are tied for the No. 10 seed.

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Although L.A.’s positioning in the standings has grown increasingly precarious, James still relishes the opportunity to have games ahead of him. Next up for the Lakers are the hometown rival Clippers back at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

”Obviously, at the end of the day, we got to come in here and win ballgames, and we got to play better. But as long as we’ve got more games to play, we should have a chance,” James said Tuesday. “So, that’s my confidence. I hate losing. I feel like poop right now. But tomorrow is a new day, and I’m going to be prepared and ready for the Clippers on Thursday. That’s just—that’s my mindset. That’s just who I am.”

• All Lakers: LeBron James Confident That the Front Office Wants to Win Titles

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