LeBron James is fueling speculation that he might leave the Los Angeles (LA) Lakers and retire after 20 stellar years playing in the NBA.
This is coming after the Lakers were taken out of the Western Conference Finals by Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets after a crushing 113-111 Game 4 loss.
“We’ll see what happens going forward. I don’t know,” the NBA’s all-time leading scorer said to reporters post-game. “I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest.
“Just for me, personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said he followed up with James after the press conference to get more information on his comments and reported that the LA Lakers star player was considering retirement.
“When you say you got to think about stuff, what thread should we be pulling on that?” McMenamin said he asked to which James replied, “If I want to continue to play.”
According to McMenamin, LeBron James later added that he will think about it when asked further about quitting next year. The Lakers star has one year left in his contract with the team after signing a two-year contract extension prior to the season.
LeBron and his Lakers team failed to make history by overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to advance to the NBA Finals. He missed two opportunities to save the game against the Denver Nuggets. The first was a tough shot way off the mark, bouncing off the side of the glass and the second was from a block from Gordon.
In an interview with The Athletic in 2022, LeBron James said he’d like to play his final NBA season alongside his son Bronny James, making his comments on retirement a shock to many.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
LeBron James news of considering retirement is coming after Carmelo Anthony announced his on Monday. The Lakers star appeared in a short video to congratulate him.
