LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to play 23 NBA seasons, and now that the year has come to an end as the Los Angeles Lakers were swept in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Of course, immediately after the Lakers were eliminated, questions surrounding James were focused on his future and whether he will retire or continue playing next season, but he offered little insight on that decision.
“With my future, I don’t know. Obviously, we’re still fresh from losing. I don’t know what the future holds for me as it stands right now tonight,” James said. “I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota, I’ve got to go back and recalibrate with my family, talk with them, spend some time with them, and when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”
This answer shouldn’t come as any surprise, especially in the immediate aftermath of the Lakers being eliminated. Emotions run high during the playoffs and expecting James to have a concrete decision on the future of his basketball career just minutes after the season ended is unrealistic.
That being said, there are a ton of questions surrounding James this summer as he is an unrestricted free agent and will be able to sign with any team of his choosing. That is, of course, if James wants to continue playing as he could decide to retire after 23 years in the league and accomplishing everything there is to do in the game of basketball.
If James does choose to return for a 24th season, the question then becomes will he re-sign with the Lakers or continue his career elsewhere? A return is not out of the question and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has openly said he wants James to retire with the purple and gold, but how much he will demand on a new contract is unclear.
The Lakers figure to have interest in re-signing Austin Reaves, and he is set for a lucrative contract in free agency. So bringing back James on something close to a max deal could limit the team’s ability to build the rest of their roster.
There have been rumors about James potentially wanting to end his career with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, not to mention possibly joining other teams such as the Golden State Warriors or New York Knicks as well, so the entire basketball world will be watching closely to see what he ultimately decides to do.
LeBron James says he has defeated Father Time
The fact that James remains one of the best players in the NBA despite having a career that spans than any other player in history is truly unbelievable. The saying is that Father Time is undefeated, but James believes he dealt him his first loss.
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