After being eliminated from the NBA Western Conference Finals on Monday, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James cast doubt on his immediate future and, according to ESPN, is considering retirement.
At the press conference, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer dodged several questions about his upcoming season with the Lakers before delivering a cryptic message.
“We’ll see what happens from here on out. I don’t know. I have a lot to think about, to be honest. I have a lot of thinking to do. For me, personally, moving forward with basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about,” James stated.
Subsequently, an ESPN reporter reported that James, who was aiming to reach his 11th Finals and contend for his fifth ring, told ESPN that he is considering not playing next year.
Chris Haynes, a reporter for the TNT network, in turn said on Twitter that James is “considering” retirement, citing unidentified league sources.
LeBron experienced a bitter end to his 20th NBA season with his Lakers’ 113-111 loss to the Nuggets, who ended the series on a 4-0 run.
At the age of 38, James tried to avoid elimination by all means, scoring 40 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists without resting a single minute.
At the press conference, the forward expressed his frustration at the loss although he acknowledged the Nuggets’ superiority.
“I haven’t even started thinking about next year. We had a great run (in playoffs) but we fell short of our goal. Our goal is always to win championships. That’s what this franchise is all about. It’s disappointing,” he said.
The Lakers were one of the surprises of these playoffs after qualifying in the playoffs and eliminating the second-seeded Grizzlies from the West and the defending champion Warriors.
“I think (the season) was good. I don’t like to say it was a successful year because I don’t play for anything other than winning championships at this point in my career. I don’t get excited about getting to the Conference Finals. I’ve done it plenty of times. And it’s not fun for me not to be able to be a part of the Finals,” he stressed.
LeBron James has two more seasons on his contract with the Lakers but in the second season he has an option to become a free agent.
The player has always stated his intention to stay in the league until playing with his son Bronny, who can be selected from the 2024 Draft.