This can’t be the end for LeBron James.
James’ agent Rich Paul wasn’t sitting in his typical courtside seat. His high school friends weren’t waiting in the hallway to greet him, as they were when he became the league’s all-time leading scorer in 2023.
There was no celebration. There was no fanfare.
This moment was not fitting for the end of The King’s career.
Not for arguably the greatest player of all-time. Not for possibly the only person on the planet who both 90-year-old grandmas and two-year-old boys know by name. Not for one of the most famous people in the world.
Sources close to James told the California Post that James is still uncertain about his future. He’s going to take some time and evaluate where he’s at mentally, physically and emotionally.
He echoed that after the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Thunder with a 115-110 loss in Game 4 on Monday.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously,” said James, who had 24 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot.
He has to be coming back.
Kobe Bryant announced his retirement in November 2015, allowing sold-out crowds to honor him with standing ovations for nearly an entire season.
Even Tim Duncan waved at fans as he walked off the court for the final time.
James didn’t do anything Monday.
He has said he’s not sure if he wants a retirement tour. But after being in the spotlight since he was in middle school, it seems unimaginable that he would fade into the shadows without even so much as a goodbye. Without letting fans honor him one last time. Without marking the moment with the emotions and gravitas it deserves.
James isn’t retiring. He can’t.
He knows he can play at this level for another five years. He was the best player in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Rockets. At age 41. In Year 23.
James explained that whether he returns will come down to if he’s “still in love with the process.” For him, that means whether he still wants to show up to arenas 5 1/2 hours before games and three hours before practices. Whether he still wants to pour his heart into his craft.
For him, it’s all or nothing.
“If I fell out of love with the process, then I probably fell out of love with the game,” James said. “Because then I’m not treating the game with respect for me personally because I know how much work that I put into it.”
James said he plans to talk to his family before making his decision. He’s going to give himself time to mull things over. He’s going to reflect on how he feels.
This season was a whirlwind.
He became the Lakers’ third offensive option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. He embraced that role even though he knew he could do much more. It made the offense hum, with the team going on a 16-2 run this spring.
“I’ve never been a third option in my life,” James said.
Everything changed after Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries April 2. James was asked to carry the Lakers into the postseason. He was asked to be him — again.
“That was pretty cool for me at this stage in my career,” he said.
James, who has led 10 teams to the Finals, winning four championships, showed that he’s still winning the battle against Father Time. He can still elevate for thunderous dunks. He can still dominate with his unique combination of power and agility. He can still be the best player on the court on any given night.
When asked if he has anything left to prove, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“As far as me individually?” he asked. “No. No.”
James, who’s about to become an unrestricted free agent, has made it clear that at this stage in his career he wants to play for a winning team. If he’s willing to take a significant pay cut from the $52.6 million he earned this season, the Lakers would welcome him back.
It’s hard to imagine he’d want to leave Los Angeles.
His son, Bronny, is on the Lakers’ roster. His wife and 12-year-old daughter have put down roots in the city. He has become obsessed with golf under the Southern California sun.
Austin Reaves, who’s expected to turn down his $14.9 million player option and become a free agent, didn’t mince words when asked how he’d feel about playing alongside James for another season.
“It would mean the world to me,” Reaves said. “I don’t know anything different. My rookie year, I had no idea what the hell was going on and he basically took me under his wing and [has] given me every opportunity that I could ever ask for,”
As for Doncic, he was coy when asked if he was going to recruit James and the team’s other free agents to re-sign with the Lakers.
“We’ll see,” Doncic said, flashing a smile. “Can’t tell you nothing.”
James has to be coming back. And the Lakers are likely his best option. Returning to Cleveland seems farfetched. When he was mentioning cities he doesn’t enjoy playing in earlier this season, he said, “I don’t like going home either.”
It seems highly unlikely he’d want to join a new franchise at this stage in his career, such as the Warriors or Knicks.
So, there’s a good chance he’ll return to the Lakers or retire.
And it just seems impossible that he’d retire.
Not like this. Not so unceremoniously.
James and the NBA have been synonymous for 23 years. He’s not only the face of the league, he’s its pulse. After two decades, he’s still dominating headlines and airwaves. He’s still the biggest star in a league of megastars.
He’s still LeBron James.
He would’ve let us say goodbye. We watched him grow up. We watched him enter the league as a bright-eyed 18-year-old under the most pressure of any prospect ever. We watched people root for him to fail. And we watched him sprint past all of the negativity, soaring above his sky-high expectations.
James’ retirement would be monumental. It would mark the end of an era. It would be a funeral. It would be a celebration.
It would be the conclusion of the most incredible career of any athlete in any sport.
This did not feel worthy of that moment.
This was not goodbye.