LeBron James admits future in NBA is unclear after Lakers' playoff exit

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LeBron James said Monday night his future in the NBA remains unclear and he’s yet to decide to return to the floor for what would be his 24th season in the league.

James, 41, talked about his future following the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff exit in a Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He said he hasn’t ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers, but said nothing about possibly joining a different team for the 2026-27 season.

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“I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” James said. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with 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 without Luka Doncic, a key piece to 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 Rockets before running into the defending NBA champions in the second round.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves pats forward LeBron James on the back during a game.

“It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at this age,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s very impressive. It’s hard to put it to words. He’s not very old in the grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he’s pretty old, and he doesn’t seem like it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us issues at times. He was impressive out there. I’m not sure we’ll 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.

“Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either,” James said. “I’ll take time to recalibrate and look over 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.