LeBron James makes big admission that could fast-track Liverpool owners FSG’s $4bn ‘plan’

All good things have to come to an end at some point. Just look at the scenes at Anfield last Sunday. Roberto Firmino and James Milner, two bona fide Liverpool legends, were given the send-offs they deserve.

When the pair were helping the Reds achieve Champions League and Premier League glory, not many were thinking about when they’d depart. But now that’s very much the case as the pair prepare for the exit door having spent the previous eight years at the club.

Both have etched themselves into Liverpool folklore but are set to continue their respective careers elsewhere.

Yet in terms of sporting icons, one could well be bringing the curtain down on his career. LeBron James is regarded as one of the greatest players in basketball history. The Los Angeles Lakers star is a global phenomenon who holds the NBA record for the most points scored. Only Michael Jordan may rank higher in terms of the best to have ever played the sport.

However, James is now aged 38 and just finished his 20th season in the NBA - which didn’t end the way he’d have liked. The Lakers suffered a 4-0 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Western Conference finals, bringing an end to their season. The California-based side had started the campaign with a record of two wins and 10 losses and did well to run deep into the play-offs - but ultimately fell short of achieving glory.

Following the defeat to the Nuggets, James addressed the media and gave an ambivalent answer about his future in the sport, having suffered with injuries during the season. He even hinted at retirement.

“We’ll see what happens going forward,” James said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. 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. It’s all about availability for me and keeping my mind sharp, and things of that nature.

“Being present on the floor, being present in the locker room and bus rides and plane rides, things of that nature. It’s challenging, for sure. It was a very challenging season for me, for our ball club, and, obviously, we know whatever went on early on. It was cool, a pretty cool ride.”

ESPN subsequently reported that ‘King James’ will indeed consider retirement during the off-season. After the press conference, James clarified to ESPN that he had to ponder whether he wants to continue to play and would contemplate walking away.

Certainly, it’s a big decision to make. But if James was to bring a close to a glittering career that’s saw him win four NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals then it’s highly unlikely he’d be riding into the sunset for a life of tranquillity. Far from it.

James is a partner of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) - the owners of Liverpool - and secured added equity in the Boston-based company earlier this year when signing a lifetime deal. He previously held a 2% share of Liverpool but converted that into a 1% stake in FSG - who also own MLB team the Boston Red Sox and NHL team the Pittsburgh Penguins - in March 2021.

James has expressed on several occasions that he is interested in taking an NBA franchise to Las Vegas at some point. The league’s commissioner, Adam Silver has admitted that Vegas would be a ‘great location’ for a team in the future.

What’s more, it has been reported that FSG are also keen on something similar. Indeed, FSG chairman Tom Werner did not rule out owning an NBA team during an interview with Forbes last year. He said: “(Owning an NBA team) is certainly something that we would look at. We don’t have a secret piece of paper that says: ‘Let’s go acquire an NBA team.”

If James retired from his playing days then he might well try to speed up the process of bringing an NBA franchise to Sin City - whether that be a new team or an established outfit moving cities. That could be something FSG look to become involved in.

Establishing a new franchise in Vegas would cost in the billions of dollars. The Pheonix Suns were sold for $4 billion in February and The Athletic reports that a team in Nevada would be valued at ‘similar or slightly more’ should one become available to bid on.