All eyes are on LeBron James after the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoff series on Monday.
The 39-year-old James declined to provide clarity when asked if he considered L.A.’s 108-106 loss to be his last game in a purple and gold jersey.
“Um, I’m not going to answer that,” James said after a brief pause during a postgame press conference. “Appreciate it.”
The four-time NBA champion — who became the league’s all-time leading scorer last February — smiled before he put down the mic and walked away.
James played coy when he was asked about “what’s next” for his summer plans and next season.
“I just want to get home to the family honestly… One of my boys is deciding if he’s going to enter the draft or go back to school,” James said, referring to his oldest son, Bronny James. “I got another kid [Bryce James] that’s playing AAU ball right now and my daughter [Zhuri James] is playing volleyball — and my wife [Savanah James] is doing so many great things, so it’s about family right now… so that’s kind of the initial thoughts.”
James explained that he’ll be resting his body before training camp with USA Basketball for the Paris Olympics this summer.
It came after sports personality Cari Champion stirred buzz with a message about James’ future just hours before the Lakers were sent into the offseason by the Nuggets for the second consecutive season.
“Just got a text from my friend. He says tonight is LeBron’s last game in purple and gold,” Champion wrote on X prior to the elimination contest at Ball Arena.
James finished the last game of his 21st season with 30 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and four steals.
He was seen on the TNT broadcast walking to the locker room without shaking hands with Nuggets players after the loss.
When asked about his decision about returning for year 22 in the NBA, James said: “I don’t have an answer … to be honest. I haven’t given it much thought.”
James explained he would meet with agent, Rich Paul, and his family to evaluate “what’s best for my career” at some point.
“We’ll cross that when we need to,” he added.
James — who will turn 40 in December — signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Lakers in September 2022, which includes a player option for 2024-25 worth $51.4 million.
He has until June 29 to either opt into the final year of his contract with the Lakers or become an unrestricted free agent.
James spoke publicly about the potential end of his career for the first time after the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference finals.
“Just for me personally, going forward, the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about,” he said at the time.
James also told ESPN that he was considering retirement last offseason.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said “it’s a priority to the Laker brand that he retire a Laker” in a 2022 interview with The Athletic.
Bronny announced he entered both the 2024 NBA Draft and the transfer portal earlier this month after playing one season at USC.
James has said on multiple occasions that he hopes to play with his oldest son in the NBA before hanging up his jersey for good.
A potential shakeup at the Lakers’ head coach position could also be on the horizon this offseason.
Darvin Ham doesn’t have much job security after the Lakers’ first-round playoff ouster, according to ESPN, and the organization will make a decision on his coaching future in the coming days.
