LeBron James Rumors: Lakers Star Has 'No Plans' to Shut His Season Down at Any Point

Despite the continued struggles for the Los Angeles Lakers, there are reportedly "no plans" to shut down LeBron James for the rest of the 2021-22 season, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. 

The Lakers have lost 10 of their last 13 to fall to 27-34, good for just ninth in the Western Conference. However, it's clear James is not giving up on the year. 

"We still have games to play," he said Tuesday. "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 has been dealing with a knee injury for the past few weeks, which cost him five games in January and February. He admitted last month that "the only way it'll be back to full strength is with rest," but that will only come in the offseason.

The 37-year-old has remained effective on the court with averages of 28.0 points and 9.6 assists in eight games since returning from the injury, shooting 51.1 percent from the field.

LeBron has taken on a bigger scoring role as the roster has dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness. His 28.9 points per game ranks third in the NBA and would be his highest scoring average since 2009-10.

The mileage is still adding up for the 19th-year veteran.

Shutting James down for the final 21 games would likely ruin the Lakers' playoff hopes, but it could allow his injuries to heal heading into 2022-23. He could go into next year fresh alongside Anthony Davis, who has played just 37 games this campaign and remains out with a foot injury.

Conversely, the Lakers are a long shot to contend even with the superstar on the court. The squad is just two games ahead of the final spot in the play-in tournament, and the recent trend is not encouraging. 

James seemingly still plans to give it his all with just over a month left in the regular season.