Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia formally announced his plan to retire after the 2019 season at the club's Tampa spring training complex on Saturday. After he shared the news, several notable figures from around the sports world praised Sabathia for his major league career as he prepares for his 19th season.
Lakers star LeBron James congratulated Sabathia on his "incredible" run.
"Not only is [Sabathia] one of the best pitchers to ever play the game, but he'll go down as one of the great competitors to ever pick up a baseball," James said, per the Yankees.