Is LeBron James retiring? Here's what could factor into his decision
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has a decision to make: will the 41-year-old retire or continue playing? Here's what he's thinking.
The billion-dollar question that everyone is asking is whether or not LeBron James will retire from basketball. Has the 41-year-old James played his last basketball game in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform ? Has he played his last basketball game ever?
James and the Lakers were eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs in the Western conference semifinals by the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder , four games to none. Immediately following the game, James provided some insight to reporters regarding the decision on his next chapter. The short answer: nobody knows, not even James himself.
"I don't know. It's obviously still fresh from losing, you know, I don't know. I mean, I don't know what the future holds for me," James said on May 11 after the Lakers were swept by the Thunder.
"Obviously, as it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I'll sit back, like I think I said last year, after we lost, I think to Minnesota there, go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do. " James is a four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP who has broken a number of NBA records — most seasons played (23), most games played (1,622), most career points scored in the regular season (43,440) and playoffs (8,521), most All-Star appearances (22), among many others.