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LeBron James said Monday night that his future in the NBA is still unclear and that he has yet to decide to return to the court for what would be his 24th season in the league.
James, 41, spoke about his future following the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff exit in a Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He said he has not ruled out retirement or returning to the Lakers, but did not say anything about the possibility of joining a different team for the 2026-27 season.
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Lakers forward LeBron James is on the court in the final minutes of Game 4 of the NBA second-round playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles on May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
“I don’t know what the future holds, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” James said. “I have a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’m going to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk to them and spend some time with them, and then obviously when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”
The Thunder dispatched the Lakers in four games with a 115-110 victory. The team had been left without Luka Doncic, a key piece for 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 forward LeBron James on the back in the final minutes of Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles on May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
“It’s amazing what he’s doing 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 grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he’s pretty old, and he doesn’t look that way out there. He was a force. He was first on the scouting report in every series. His size gave us problems at times. It was impressive. I’m not sure we’ll ever see anything like that again, his longevity and his greatness.”
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 the time to recalibrate and review 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 enters the court to warm up before Game 4 of the NBA second-round 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.
