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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James could retire from the NBA this summer, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that he has to “think about it” when he was asked about walking away from the NBA now that his season is over.
The Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. James, who has a torn tendon in his right foot, had been told by two doctors to get season-ending surgery on his right foot in February. However, he opted not to and helped the Lakers reach the conference finals after the team started the season 2-10.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists during the regular season in 55 games. He made the All-NBA third team.
James has been in the NBA since 2003. He was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
LeBron James Hinted About Retiring
During his postgame press conference after Game 4, James hinted he might retire.
“We’ll see. We’ll see what happens going forward,” James said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. 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.”
James, Anthony Davis and Max Christie are the only Lakers players under contract for next season, which is why LeBron told reporters he had no idea what the team could look like in 2023-24.
“To be honest, I’m not quite sure what the roster will look like next year,” James said. “I think myself, AD, Max Christie, I think Vando has a team option, player option, something like that, I don’t know who else. I mean, the roster is not set. Obviously, that’s Rob and the front office. They are going to figure out the best way to put this team together to go forward in the fall.
“But it’s not like we have a team full of multi-year guys that’s stuck in a contract right now. So, I don’t know. We’ll see.”
If James retires, he will go down as arguably the greatest player in NBA history. The King is first all-time in points, fourth in assists, ninth in steals, fourth in triple-doubles, third in player efficiency rating, sixth in points per game and second in win shares.
James is the only player in league history to rank top-10 all-time in both points and assists.
LeBron James Signed an Extension Last Summer
James, who turns 39 next season, signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers last summer. The 19-time All-Star has a player option for the 2024-25 season.
After the Lakers won Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors in the conference semifinals, James said he was still serious about wanting to play with his son, Bronny, in the NBA. No father has played with or against his son in the NBA.
Bronny, who will play his college basketball at USC, will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft.
“I was serious and I’m still serious about it,” LeBron said about playing with Bronny.
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