NOW THAT LeBron James and the whole Los Angeles (LA) Lakers’ season is over, having been eliminated by the tenacious Minnesota Timberwolves, the question remains: what comes next for King James?
To be honest, we all saw it coming, since the Lakers’ lineup lacked depth, particularly in the frontcourt. Even while Anthony Davis was still on the club, he emphasized the importance of having a good big man beside him.
Despite concerns looming around the team, a roster anchored by James, a top five NBA player in Luka Dončić, and a streaky Austin Reaves, who performed well throughout the regular season, cannot be overlooked.
However, three months is not enough time for two ball-dominant players to gel, as many in the media predicted. Aside from addressing their demands for improvement this offseason, James’ situation is worth keeping an eye on.
I Don’t Know
The 40-year-old NBA legend averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game this season, among other accomplishments. However, willpower alone was insufficient to propel him to the fifth ring.
After being eliminated by Minnesota, James was immediately asked about his future plans and how many more years he will play in the NBA. The four-time NBA champion and MVP replied with three words.
“I don’t know,” James flatly said. “I don’t have the answer to that. (It’s) something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens and just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.”
According to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, this is nothing new to the public’s eyes and ears, as James has been as non-committal as he can be even with his former teams after a bad season.
“We saw his answer last night, he was very non-commital. Like every time a Lakers season, or a Cavs season in the past, a Miami Heat season in the past, has ended,” Charania said during The Pat McAfee Show.
“That’s what he’s been saying. Before it was about free agency, before it was about where he’s going to end up, now it’s about is he going to play anymore and how long he’s going to play.”
“Either way, him coming back to the Lakers, there’s going to be a lot of questions. He’s got a $54 million player option, so what will you do there? Do you opt in or out? My feel is that he probably opts into that,” he added.
The Elephant In The Room
I suppose the elephant in the room must have been addressed by now. The experienced NBA Insider is serious about how long James will play.
“There’s no expectation for LeBron James to retire, I will say that. In my sense, my understanding, he will play at least another NBA season,” Charania explained.
“You think about next year, 2025-2026, it’ll be year 23, that would set a league record. Year 23 for number 23. The All-Star Game is in Los Angeles. He’s potentially playing in LA. There’s a lot of stars that will align for next season.”
“Potentially if that’s what LeBron James decides. He’d be 41 years old in December. He’s 40 years old right now. So the expectation is he’s going to be playing for at least another season. But again, how long?” he added.
A New Lifeline?
Meanwhile, Charania feels that if anything will motivate one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players of all time, it will be his second son Bryce James’ draft eligibility in 2026.
“Does that factor into it at all? His son is going to be potentially draft eligible in 2026. So if he feels that at some point next year, Bryce James might be an NBA player, might be a draft eligible player,” Charania said.
“Does he extend that window? I think that’s the only potential caveat that you think of out there that could keep LeBron James even longer than at least one more year,” he went on to say.
This season, LeBron made history with his oldest son, Bronny James, on opening night by becoming the first father-son pair to ever grace the NBA court in a regular season game.
Greatness In Full Display
Nonetheless, LeBron James has already won two championships in Miami (2012, 2013), followed by his vow to give his hometown Cleveland its first trophy in 2016, and another in Los Angeles in 2020.
In addition, King James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and the first player to reach 50,000 career points. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players to score 40 points at 40.
At this point, James has already shown himself and embellished his resume in every way possible before deciding whether or not to hang his jersey in the rafters.
While it is up to him and his body to decide whether or not he can play another 82-game season next year, ballers may enjoy his greatness while it lasts, as his retirement is undoubtedly on the horizon.
