LeBron misses family, but not thinking retirement: 'Too many sneakers to sell'

TORONTO - Fifteen years into his storied career, LeBron James knows that fans, doubters, and pundits alike want to know how close the four-time MVP is to the end. But does the man himself think about that eventual conclusion?

"I do not," James told reporters matter of factly before a Thursday shootaround in Toronto.

"The only thing is, with my kids getting older, that's the only thing that will stop me from going as long as I would like to. I've got a 13-year-old son now, he's in the seventh grade, and he's a damn good basketball player, too. And already on this road trip, I've missed four of his games. That's the thing that kind of sucks. I've got a 10-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl - the 'daddy' side kicks in sometimes, so that will be a deciding factor in how long I play."

If his game was the only barometer, the end for James would be nowhere in sight, as the 33-year-old is averaging 27.2 points (his highest scoring average in eight years), 8.2 rebounds, a career-high nine assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks on a True Shooting percentage of 64.2 this season, which trails only Stephen Curry (67.1 percent) and Cavaliers teammate Kyle Korver (66.0 percent) among non-bigs.

He's also logging 37 minutes a night, and hasn't missed a single game this season.

"One thing I've always prided myself on is just being available - being available for my teammates, where they know that every night I'm available for them," James told theScore.

With a resume that already places him among the very best to ever play the game, James knows that what he's doing in season No. 15, and anything that follows, is merely gravy.

"I've already went further than I thought I would go, so everything else at this point is extra credit," James said Thursday. "I'm at 15 years. I've been in this spotlight for half of my life, maybe more. I'm 33 now. This thing started when I was 15. Eighteen years, I've been in this light right here, so I've already exceeded everything that I've ever dreamed about. At this point, I'm just adding crazy toppings on the cake like my daughter would do."

Before James' usually packed scrum ended, he was asked again if retirement was something on his mind.

"What, give it up?" LeBron responded with an incredulous look. "No," he said, drawing out the one-syllable rejection for extra emphasis. "I've got too many sneakers to sell, still."