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LeBron James said Monday night that his future in the NBA remains unclear and that he has not yet decided whether to return to the floor in what would be his 24th season in the league.
James, 41, spoke about his future after the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff run in a Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He said he hasn’t ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers, but said nothing about possibly joining another team in the 2026-27 season.
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Lakers forward LeBron James stands on the court in the closing minutes of Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles on May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
“Obviously, I don’t know what the future holds for me as it stands right now tonight,” James said. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said that last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’m going to go back and calibrate with my family and talk to them and spend some time with them, and when the time comes, of course you’ll know what I decide to do.”
The Thunder dispatched the Lakers in four games with a 115-110 victory. The team had been without Luka Doncic, a key piece to the team’s solid season. He missed the entire playoffs with a hamstring injury.
James led Los Angeles to a first-round upset over the Houston Texans before running into the defending NBA champions in the second round.
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Lakers guard Austin Reaves pats LeBron James on the back during the closing minutes of Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles on May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
“It’s unbelievable what he’s doing out there at this age,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s very impressive. It’s hard to put into words. He’s not very old in the big life, but for the NBA, he’s pretty old and he doesn’t seem to have it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us problems at times. He was impressive out there. I don’t want to see what his eternity is, and we are again.”
He said he will discuss his future with his family over a few glasses of wine.
“No one has any idea what the future holds, and neither do I,” James said. “I’m going to take some time to recalibrate and look over the season and see what’s best for my future and when I get to that point, everyone will know.”
James, a 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, is the all-time leader in points scored, games played and field goals attempted.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers walks onto the court to warm up before Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles on May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
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He averaged 20.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games played this season.
