WATCH: Charles Barkley explains why LeBron James must take retirement

In a recent interaction on the Club Shay Shay podcast former NBA star Charles Barkley talked about LeBron James' performance in the loss against the Denver Nuggets in playoffs. However, he expressed that LeBron James must think of his retirement now. 

LeBron James has an average of 7.3 RPG, 25.7 PPG and 8.3 APG in the regular season. While in the first round of the NBA playoffs, his average was 27.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 6.8 RPG but his performance didn’t help the Los Angeles Lakers to pass playoffs as they lost to Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, LeBron James is set to retire from basketball as his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers is running out.

According to Sports Tiger, during the podcast Charles Barkley puts a point on what lies ahead in LeBron James' basketball career he states, “I hope he (LeBron James) retires soon because I hated the way I retired because I sucked.”

Watch here the full video: 

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— Vito Corleonie (@VCorleonie) May 6, 2024

I don’t want to see any great playing past their prime - Charles Barkley

“Your ego says you can still do it, because I remember telling myself the last two years, ‘Ok, I am going to get myself in great shape this summer. I am going to have a good year and then I am going to retire. Then I figured out that like playing against air, everybody is good against air, and everybody is great against air. But when you see another 25-year-old, who is looking at you like, licking his lips, you’re like oh! shit. And like there is nothing you can do,” Charles Barkley added.

Charles Barkley also provided examples of former players who played beyond their primes and appeared to be a pale shadow of their former selves.  According to Sports Tiger, he said, “I hope he (LeBron James) retires while he can still play. I’ve been there myself; I saw Patrick Ewing in his last legs, and saw Michael Jordan playing with the Wizards. I don’t want to see any great playing past their prime.”