LOS ANGELES – Amid frustration with defeat, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James hardly seemed ready to accept this would mark his final NBA basketball game.
Amid exhaustion over managing his burdened 41-year-old body, James appeared too tired to comprehend what the rest of his NBA career might look like, either.
"What's my future?" James asked rhetorically. "I don't know."
Instead, James remained consumed with processing the Lakers' 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. It was fitting because James pledged all season long to stay in the moment. He wanted to savor any current accomplishment or setback of his storied NBA career while knowing that it might all end soon.
"I left everything I could out on the floor," James said after posting 24 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. "I controlled what I can control. Even though I hate losing, I was locked in on what we needed to do. I tried to make sure our guys were locked in on what we needed to do throughout the postseason."
Shortly after the Thunder ended the Lakers' season with a sweep, James may confront another puzzle far more vexing than stopping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or playing without Luka Dončić. Does James want to play for an unprecedented 24th NBA season? If so, does he want to stay with the Lakers? Or will he seek to play for his fourth NBA team?
"I have no idea," James said. "None of us here know what the future holds. Nobody has any idea what the future holds. I don't either. I'll take time to recalibrate. I'll look over the season and see what's best for my future. When I get to that point, everyone will know."
James said he plans to "recalibrate with his family" before finalizing his decision. That James has even kept this topic open-ended seems like an accomplishment.
Nearly three years ago, James sat on the podium and suggested an imminent ending after the Lakers' playoff exit. Then, the Denver Nuggets had just swept the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference finals. He admittedly felt fatigued from various injuries and a heavy workload. Perhaps, as some around the NBA suspected, he wanted to take some attention away from the Nuggets before they eventually won their first NBA championship in franchise history. Either way, James then confirmed two months later that he would return and honor his contract.
And now? The Lakers have affirmed they would love James to retire in a Lakers uniform, but implicitly under different conditions.
The Lakers have revolved around Dončić since surprisingly acquiring him last season from the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers plan to participate in the Giannis Antetokounmpo offseason sweepstakes. The Lakers are more encouraged with Austin Reaves' growth and willingness to return in the playoffs from a left oblique strain than they are by his postseason shortcomings. With Reaves expected to opt out of his $14.9 million player option, the Lakers likely will try to sign him to a multiyear deal in the range of $30 million per year.
Where does that leave James? Although he remains a box office and ratings draw, he's unlikely to earn the $52.6 million he made this season. But with James still playing at an All-Star caliber level as a first, second or third option without complaint, the Lakers will try to convince him to return on a deal that respects his Hall of Fame résumé without breaking the bank.
"There's nothing I need to show in this league as far as I want to show people I can do this or show people myself that I can do this," James said. "I've done it all and seen it all. It's just being able to compete and try to win championships. That's a motivating factor."
James hasn't shied away from switching teams to compete for those championships. He left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and helped the Miami Heat win two NBA titles in four Finals appearances. He returned to Cleveland for four Finals matchups against Golden State, including a 2016 NBA title after overcoming a 3-1 series deficit. James then traveled west to the Lakers and guided them to an NBA title and six playoff appearances.
James hasn't sparked the same reverence Lakers fans often grant other NBA stars, considering he was once a hated rival and won his most recent NBA title without any fans present in the NBA bubble. The Lakers may have some hometown equity, though. He has enjoyed settling in with his family here for the past seven years. The Lakers also drafted James' elder son, Bronny, two years ago.
Perhaps other possible NBA contenders will intrigue James, including the Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors or even Los Angeles Clippers. Then again, James might receive little credit if he won his fifth NBA title elsewhere and more criticism if he fell short. James sounded disinterested in talking about any of those hypotheticals Monday night. He maintained uncertainty amid the fog of postseason disappointment. But James at least offered a rough outline of what will influence his decision.
"It's about the process," James said. "If I can commit toward still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena 5½ hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got with diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know it takes to go out and play and showing up to practices. I've always been in love with the process and not the aftermath of, ‘We won that game; we won a championship.' I always enjoyed the process more than the outcome. That will be a big factor."
James seemed to embrace the process surrounding his 23rd NBA season. Though it did not end with his fifth NBA championship, James credited the Lakers for being "super resilient" for adapting to injuries and remaining consistently competitive.
Despite missing the first 14 games of the season to heal sciatica in his right hip, James averaged 20.9 points on 51.5% shooting, with 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. James also embraced an off-the-ball role while deferring to Dončić and Reaves. James considered it "pretty cool for me at this stage of my career."
"I was put in some positions that I never played in my career before, actually in my life," James said. "I've never been a third option in my life."
Will James become content with reliving that same role for another season? How he wrestles with that question could determine whether he extends his NBA career, or at least his time with the Lakers.
Mark Medina is an NBA contributor for Athlon Sports. Follow him onX,Blue Sky,Instagram,Facebook andThreads.
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