WNBA icon gives LeBron James advice on fast-approaching retirement

LeBron James' time in the NBA is slowly coming to an end, and he knows it. In his 21st year in the league, James has retirement on his mind. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, he claimed that he is still trying to figure out how he wants to go about retirement plans.

It's under debate whether James would go on a farewell tour or quietly retire during an offseason.

"I don't know how many seasons I have left. I know it's not that many. I was asked this question a couple days ago, 'Will you take the farewell tour or just 'Tim Duncan' it?' I'm 50-50," James said in a press conference during All-Star Weekend.

Sue Bird has some retirement advice for LeBron James

WNBA icon Sue Bird gave her input on the debate by bringing in her personal experience during her appearance on the podcast Sports Media with Richard Deitsch. She would give the advice to follow her and the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant's path and do the farewell tour in his final season.

"If I talked to LeBron right now, I'd be like 'Bro, I could not recommend this enough.' Because what I realized is a couple of things," Bird said.

"One, it's just as much about the fans and them being able to say goodbye to you. And I always thought of it like, 'I don't know if I want this attention.' You have to almost see outside of yourself and understand that this is going to be meaningful for so many people. The second thing, I will say, it can be a lot. It can be a lot, but I just think the pros outweigh the cons. I'll finish with, it is each individual's choice, you have to be up for it, or game for it. I would just always argue that there might be things you personally gain or things you learn about yourself, your career, your relationship with the fans without this experience."

Bird and James are incredibly similar in their respective leagues, and considering James' impact on the NBA and his fans, the opportunity for James to say goodbye to his fans around the country would mean a lot to the league.

James has played against 40 percent of all players in NBA history and this continues to increase. Many assume he is waiting for his son Bronny James Jr. to enter the league so they can play side by side. But with Bronny still playing at USC for possibly another season, we can have the possibility of not seeing them on the court together unless James toughs it out and waits for his son.

Even though he hinted at retirement last season after losing the Western Conference Finals, he never went through with the decision. He is again looking in prime shape on the court, averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game this season.

As one of the most publicly spoken players in the league, James's retirement without any recognition from his fanbase would seem unlikely. We will see if Bird's advice got to him and if he takes it in the future.