“If I wanted to play, I’d still be playing for the Lakers. The health thing I could’ve figured out—I just don’t want to play anymore.”

Simplified Meaning:

The speaker is saying that they stopped playing not because of health reasons, but simply because they no longer wanted to play. Imagine someone who loves painting but then decides to stop; it’s not because they hurt their hand, but because they’ve lost interest in painting. The same applies here; they could have managed their health issues if they still had the desire to play. Instead, their passion or motivation for the game has faded. This shows that sometimes people make changes in their lives not because they are unable to continue, but because their interests and desires have shifted. For example, a teacher might leave teaching to pursue another career, even if they could still teach without any problems. This teaches us that it’s important to follow what we truly want, even if it means leaving something we were once passionate about.