Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is reportedly considering retirement after his 20th NBA season came to an end with a four-game sweep Monday at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, according to TNT’s Chris Haynes.
The report comes after James gave a vague answer regarding his future after the loss.
“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,” he said in the final answer of his post-game press conference.
James became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA playoff game and nearly registered a triple-double with 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers’ 113-111 loss to the Nuggets.
The 38-year-old has now played in 20 seasons and has played the third most regular season minutes in league history.
He signed a two-year extension prior to the 2022-23 season that keeps him under contract in Los Angeles through 2023-24 and includes a player option for the following year.
James has voiced his desire to play with his son Bronny, who recently committed to playing at the University of South California starting this fall.
If his apparent uncertainty leads to retirement, it would be a major shock to the sports world. The elder James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists, helping the Lakers to the conference finals after starting with a 2-10 record.
