LeBron James Leaves NBA Future Uncertain After Lakers' Playoff Loss

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

James, 41, spoke about his plans after the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series. He has not ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers but made no mention of joining another team for the 2026-27 season.

"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 beat the Lakers 115-110 to win the series in four games. Los Angeles had advanced with a first-round upset over the Houston Rockets before facing the defending NBA champions.

The Lakers played without Luka Doncic, who missed the entire postseason with a hamstring injury.

James averaged 20.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games this season. A 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, he holds NBA records for career points scored, games played and field goals attempted.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praised James after the game. "It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at this age," 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."

James said he will talk over his future with his family over a few glasses of wine. "Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either," he 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."