NBA star, Lebron James is reportedly considering retirement from basketball after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Denver Nuggets on Monday, May 22.
The NBA superstar made headlines with his cryptic comments after the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, with the legendary forward admitting ‘I got a lot to think about’.
Chris Haynes reports that James is indeed considering calling it a day, and if he does carry on, he is uncertain it will be with the Lakers.
James still has two years and $97million remaining on his current contract, but the final year is a player option and he could opt to forgo the cash and call it a day.
Speaking after the Lakers’ defeat, which saw them bomb out 4-0 to the Nuggets, James said: ‘I got a lot to think about. Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.’
If he call it quits, LeBron would leave the court with the all-time scoring record having overtaken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earlier this season.
He would also lead the playoff scoring records, having opened a 2,036-point gap between himself and nearest rival Michael Jordan.
James has played 20 seasons in the NBA, starting with seven years in Cleveland after he was drafted first overall in 2003 by the Cavaliers.
He then went on to the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA titles, before heading back to Cleveland to win his third.
In 2018, he moved to the Lakers and won his fourth ring in a Covid-affected 2020.
In addition to the titles, he also has four NBA Finals MVP awards, and is a four-time NBA MVP.
LeBron hinted he was unsure about his NBA future Monday night as he delivered a cryptic response to questions over his life on court following LA’s elimination at the hands of the Nuggets.
‘We’ll see what happens going forward. But I don’t know,’ James said. ‘I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. I got a lot to think about,’ James said after scoring 40 points as the Lakers dropped Game 4 to the Nuggets, officially ending their season with sweep.
‘Just personally with me moving forward with the game of basketball… I got a lot to think about.’