LeBron James extinguished retirement rumors as he graced the 2023 ESPY Awards. At 38 years old, the NBA legend was honored with the prestigious Best Record-Breaking Performance Award after an extraordinary basketball season, where he broke the NBA's all-time scoring record.

During the star-studded event, LeBron's wife, Savannah James, and their three children - Bronny (18), Bryce (16), and Zhuri (8) - proudly presented him with the award. With pure joy radiating from him, LeBron took the stage and delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech, expressing love and gratitude towards his family.

"I wanted to start off by thanking my beautiful wife Savannah," he shared, explaining that "for our family, no one has sacrificed more or put in more hard work than you and I appreciate you for that. I love you."

LeBron James took a heartfelt moment during his acceptance speech to acknowledge his children, expressing his deepest thoughts and emotions towards them. "It means so much to me to have you guys up here on stage... Thank you, guys, for being amazing kids, all three of you. The greatest blessing of my life."

LeBron James boldly addressed the prevailing topic of discussion during his speech, directly confronting the reports and his previous remarks that hinted at his contemplation of retirement.

"When the season ended, I said I wasn't sure if I was gonna keep playing," he recalled. "I'm here now, speaking for myself. In that moment, [I was] asking myself if I can still play without cheating the game. Can I give everything to the game still? The truth is, I've been asking myself this question at the end of the season for a couple years now, I just never openly talked about it."

"The real question for me is, 'Can I play without cheating the game?' The day I can't give the game everything on the floor is the day I'll be done," LeBron James continued to speak on the topic with a smile on his face. "Luckily for you guys, today is not that day."

The crowd erupted in excitement at the announcement, and LeBron couldn't contain his own enthusiasm as he eagerly exclaimed, "I still got something left. A lot left! I love you all and thank you so much for watching this journey thus far."

Last May, after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a defeat to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference, LeBron James couldn't hide his visible disappointment during a post-game press conference. The Lakers' loss shattered their hopes of securing a championship victory.

LeBron James responded to questions about his future with the Lakers with a sense of ambiguity, stating, "I haven't begun to even think about next year. We had a great run but we fell short of our goal and our goal is to win championships. That's what this franchise is about, so that's disappointing."

Referring to the recent season "very challenging," LeBron added, "I don't like to say it was a successful year because I don't play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career. I don't get a kick out of making a conference appearance. I've done it a lot. It's not fun to me to not be able to get to the finals."

LeBron James openly conveyed his enduring passion for basketball while also acknowledging his apprehensions regarding the next phase of his career.

"We'll see what happens going forward, but I don't know. I've got a lot to think about, to be honest," he said. "I got a lot to think about. Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about."

It is apparent that he has carefully considered the situation and is eager to pursue another championship in the upcoming season.