LOS ANGELES — When a player is coming off an All-NBA level season where he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game, plus he has a player option to make $52.6 million next season, retirement usually is not a question on the table.
It’s different for 40-year-old LeBron James after his 22nd NBA season. After the Lakers were eliminated in five games in the first round by a younger, more physical and deeper Minnesota team, he was asked his thoughts about coming back for a 23rd season.
“I don’t know. I don’t have an answer to that,” James said. “Something I’ll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and just kind of talk through it and see what happens. Just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.
“I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So, we’ll see.”
The expectation in league circles is LeBron will return. He was energized this season, both playing with his son, Bronny, and after the Luka Doncic trade. He is still playing at a high level, and most importantly, this is a Lakers team that is just a few moves away from competing for a title (getting a rim-protecting center is at the top of the list). LeBron has been clear for years that his top priority is another championship for his resume, and this Lakers team should enter next season with legitimate title aspirations.
There is also an expectation that LeBron will opt out of his $52.6 million for next season — the second year of a two-year, $101.4 million contract signed last summer — to sign another two-year extension with the Lakers. He also has a no-trade clause (although it is unlikely to come into play).
“This is a business, too,” LeBron added. “So you don’t know what the roster will look like next year besides the guys that are locked into contracts. I mean, s***, I got a lot to think about myself. I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now.”
It’s a lot for a player of LeBron’s age to get his body ready to compete at this level and the point will come where he doesn’t want to put in that much work anymore. Right now, LeBron appears willing to put in the work.
There will be roster changes, the Lakers are going to go hunting for a center who can protect the paint on defense and be a vertical floor spacer on offense (think of how Dereck Lively II fit next to Doncic in Dallas). LeBron wasn’t going to publicly push for the Lakers to go get a big after being dismantled by Rudy Gobert in Game 5, and in doing so had the line of the night.
“No comment. I’ll never say that,” LeBron said of Los Angeles needing a center. “Because my guy AD said what he needed and then he was gone the following week, so I got no comment.”
LeBron is going to take his time to think about this, but don’t be surprised when he is back next season. Although, also don’t be surprised if next season, his 23rd, is his farewell tour.
Published May 1, 2025 12:02 PM
LOS ANGELES — When a player is coming off an All-NBA level season where he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game, plus he has a player option to make $52.6 million next season, retirement usually is not a question on the table.
It’s different for 40-year-old LeBron James after his 22nd NBA season. After the Lakers were eliminated in five games in the first round by a younger, more physical and deeper Minnesota team, he was asked his thoughts about coming back for a 23rd season.
“I don’t know. I don’t have an answer to that,” James said. “Something I’ll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and just kind of talk through it and see what happens. Just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.
“I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So, we’ll see.”
The expectation in league circles is LeBron will return. He was energized this season, both playing with his son, Bronny, and after the Luka Doncic trade. He is still playing at a high level, and most importantly, this is a Lakers team that is just a few moves away from competing for a title (getting a rim-protecting center is at the top of the list). LeBron has been clear for years that his top priority is another championship for his resume, and this Lakers team should enter next season with legitimate title aspirations.
There is also an expectation that LeBron will opt out of his $52.6 million for next season — the second year of a two-year, $101.4 million contract signed last summer — to sign another two-year extension with the Lakers. He also has a no-trade clause (although it is unlikely to come into play).
“This is a business, too,” LeBron added. “So you don’t know what the roster will look like next year besides the guys that are locked into contracts. I mean, s***, I got a lot to think about myself. I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now.”
It’s a lot for a player of LeBron’s age to get his body ready to compete at this level and the point will come where he doesn’t want to put in that much work anymore. Right now, LeBron appears willing to put in the work.
There will be roster changes, the Lakers are going to go hunting for a center who can protect the paint on defense and be a vertical floor spacer on offense (think of how Dereck Lively II fit next to Doncic in Dallas). LeBron wasn’t going to publicly push for the Lakers to go get a big after being dismantled by Rudy Gobert in Game 5, and in doing so had the line of the night.
“No comment. I’ll never say that,” LeBron said of Los Angeles needing a center. “Because my guy AD said what he needed and then he was gone the following week, so I got no comment.”
LeBron is going to take his time to think about this, but don’t be surprised when he is back next season. Although, also don’t be surprised if next season, his 23rd, is his farewell tour.
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