LOS ANGELES – LeBron James said that he will take time to consider his future, after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by Oklahoma City on Monday in what could turn out to be the final game of his career.
James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 in Los Angeles as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series.
The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and will head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future.
Some reports have indicated he is ready to extend with the Lakers for what would be a 24th season in the NBA, while others have suggested he may consider heading elsewhere or finally decide to retire.
James gave little away when quizzed about his plans.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me,” he said.
“Obviously as it stands right now, tonight, I’ve got a lot of time. I’ll 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 added that whether he continues could hinge on whether he felt committed to the grind of playing at the highest level.
“I think for me, it’s about the process – you know, if I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing,” he said.
Whatever James decides, the veteran superstar feels that he has nothing left to prove after a career that has included a plethora of milestones and records that may never be broken.
“There’s nothing I need to show in this league,” he said.
“I’ve done it all, I’ve seen it all. So you know, just trying to compete and trying to win championships, I think that’s a motivating factor.”
While James contemplates his future, the reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City are looking ahead to a Western Conference Finals showdown with either the San Antonio Spurs or Minnesota Timberwolves for a place in the NBA Finals.
The Spurs and Timberwolves are tied at 2-2 in their best-of-seven semi-final series.
The Thunder will fancy their chances of advancing after wrapping up an impressive sweep of the Lakers, having also already swept Phoenix in the first round.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder scorers with 35 points.
In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Donovan Mitchell went on a record-tying second-half scoring spree as the Cleveland Cavaliers bagged a series-leveling 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Mitchell erupted for 39 points in the second half before finishing with 43 points, five rebounds and two assists.
James Harden added 24 points as the Cavs tied the series at 2-2 in front of a packed Rocket Arena.
It was the third consecutive game where Mitchell had scored 30 points or more, a run of form that has helped Cleveland climb out of a 0-2 hole to even the series. AFP