After his final postgame interview of the season, LeBron James flashed a grin as he excused himself from the room — hardly looking like someone ready to put a legendary era to bed.
The Los Angeles Lakers were unceremoniously bounced from the NBA playoffs in five first-round games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and already they were being asked questions about what next season might look like.
James gave no assurances that he would be back for his 23rd season, which would be an NBA record. During his 22nd, he looked as spry as ever, missing just 12 regular-season games in a campaign when he turned 40. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
“It’s something where I will sit down with my family, my wife, my support group and talk through it and see what happens,” James said in his televised news conference when asked how many more seasons he might play. “And just have conversations with myself on how long I want to continue to play.”
And yet the Lakers front office will proceed as if James will return. The superstar has an option year on his contract that would pay him $52.6 million in 2025-26.
After Luka Doncic was added alongside James in February to mixed results, amid a massive jolt of energy, the season ended just as the previous one did — with a first-round playoff exit.
The Lakers were exposed against the Timberwolves with their play on the inside, which is what Anthony Davis gave them before he was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks for Doncic.
It’s far too simplistic to say that the move away from a big man to a scorer who prefers to operate with the ball — just as James does — was the reason for the team’s early exit. The reality is that asking a team to rearrange the furniture then sprint through the living room in the dark was never going to be easy.
Do James and Doncic have too many similarities to make the partnership work? James thinks that in time the Lakers can do damage with the pairing. A midseason Doncic and Kyrie Irving pairing in Dallas received rough reviews. And then the duo stormed into the NBA Finals one year later.
The Lakers are expected to search for a big man who can play defense, grab rebounds, score second-chance points and roll to the rim for easy dunks off lob passes. It doesn’t have to be an All-Star-caliber player — just one who can do the little things to keep opponents honest and provide James and Doncic the necessary space to operate.
Expect James to have considerable input on just who that big man might be. As a four-time MVP, a four-time champion, a 21-time All-Star and the game’s most prolific scorer, he has earned that.
James’ grand status earned him a different kind of perk last offseason. The Lakers drafted James’ son, Bronny, in the second round, and while the move initially appeared to be a misallocation of draft assets, Bronny James showed so much improvement during the season that he now looks like a serviceable role player in the future.
Bronny James averaged just 6.7 minutes over 27 games, with 2.3 points and slightly less than an assist per contest. And yet they might be the most important statistics when it comes to the prospect of LeBron James returning to play in Los Angeles in 2025-26.
Dad said that playing with his son during select games and most days in practice was the “No. 1” thing he has ever done in his NBA career.
“For sure,” he said. “That’s easy.”
At the news conference following the elimination loss at home to Minnesota, LeBron looked down and paused for a split second — as if replaying the moments in his head of being on the floor with his son.
“To be able to play the game that I love, and to be able to be along my son the whole year, it’s been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I have ever been on,” he said.
It was not a smooth transition. Bronny James struggled early, even in G League play. He got better, found his groove, then had a brutal game at Philadelphia in January — missing all five of his shots, including all three from 3-point range in 15 minutes, while committing three turnovers.
“I thought that built so much character,” LeBron said.
Less than two months later, though, Bronny went 7-of-10 from the floor and made two 3-pointers while scoring a season-best 17 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.
And maybe that was the son’s way of showing his famous father that if you commit yourself to the project, when others think it might be a lost cause, perhaps some worthwhile things can come from it.
“You can ask any of his teammates, any of the coaches, he’s just a joy to be around,” LeBron said. “And I have to say … I have a lot to do with that.”
And for the first time in 10 minutes of talking about the end of the season and the prospects of ever playing again, LeBron James flashed a big smile.
He set down the microphone and walked off the podium — all while looking like a return is already part of his 2025 schedule.
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