‘Humiliating’ Final Year Forced LeBron James’ Heat Teammate to Retire

Duke standout forward Shane Battier won two NBA championships playing alongside LeBron James with the Miami Heat.

‘Humiliating’ Final Year Forced LeBron James’ Heat Teammate to Retire

LeBron James and former Miami Heat teammate Shane Battier (Image via FirstSportz)

At age 40, LeBron James is set to return to play in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is in prime condition and wants to possibly play one more season before deciding to leave the game he loves for good.

He knows that time is running down on his career, but assured reporters last season that he would not disrespect the game by playing below the standard he has set. He wants to go out on a high, be it as an elite All-NBA athlete or even a champion.

However, that is not how most athletes exit the sport they have been a part of for nearly their entire life. They believe they can continue playing and contributing to a team’s success, but their confidence generally gets a reality check.

Some athletes keep on playing in other lesser leagues or even go abroad. However, for James’ former teammate, Shane Battier, he understood the writing was on the wall when it became apparent that the Miami Heat did not want him around anymore.

When I was told without being told that our best chance of winning doesn’t include you, Shane. When Spo (coach Erik Spoelstra) started to sit me in the fourth quarter, nothing was worse to me than sitting me in crunch time. That was my identity. It hurt me to my core.

Shane Battier told Pablo Torre

The two-time champion understood by then that it was time for him to retire. That experience felt humiliating, and he was embarrassed as a player. However, that embarrassment did not stop there as it got to his head.

Exiting the NBA in that manner impacted Shane Battier

Athletes have a competitive fire inside them that is part of why they become who they are. When one is forced to retire due to various reasons, it impacts their mental health. Shane Battier went on to reveal how cynical he became after leaving the NBA.

I shut people out. I was probably battling depression. I never had this feeling before. But feeling very isolated. I didn’t feel anyone understood what I was going through. I felt very alone, and I pushed people away. I pushed my wife away; I pushed my kids away. And I was just a jerk.

Shane Battier said

The 2-time All Defensive 2nd-teamer added that stopping what he did for 30 years made him angry. He clarified that he was not the destructive or alcoholic kind, but he was not emotionally available for his wife or his children.

He even revealed that the depression he suffered from led him to do an awful job with ESPN. It was a job many wanted, but he could not get to grips with it and left the network as soon as he could. The 46-year-old admits it was a mistake.

LeBron James might not have to go through what Shane Battier did

Shane Battier might have experienced the most humiliating way to forcibly end his basketball career. However, his former teammate, LeBron James, might not have to go through that ordeal. The 40-year-old superstar is self-aware enough to know when he needs to stop.

LeBron James could leave the NBA after next season
LeBron James could leave the NBA after next season (Image via Open Source/X)

Unlike some past greats, the Akron native constantly speaks with his family before deciding what he wants to do. Whether it was playing at the Paris Olympics or continuing to play next season, he asks his wife, Savannah James, and his children.

The 4-time champion confirmed that his children do support him. However, he knows that his wife only wants what is best for their lives. As he revealed during a recent trip to New York, his wife’s insistence might make him stop playing after the 2025-26 season.

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