LeBron James admits future in NBA is unclear after Lakers' playoff exit

LeBron James said Monday nighttime his early successful nan NBA remains unclear and he’s yet to determine to return to nan level for what would beryllium his 24th play successful nan league.

James, 41, talked astir his early pursuing nan Los Angeles Lakers' playoff exit successful a Game 4 nonaccomplishment to nan Oklahoma City Thunder. He said he hasn’t ruled retired status aliases a return to nan Lakers, but said thing astir perchance joining a different squad for nan 2026-27 season.

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Lakers guardant LeBron James stands connected nan tribunal successful nan closing minutes of Game 4 successful nan second-round NBA playoffs against nan Oklahoma City Thunder successful Los Angeles connected May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

"I don’t cognize what nan early holds for me, obviously, arsenic it stands correct now tonight," James said. "I’ve sewage a batch of clip now. I deliberation I said it past twelvemonth aft we mislaid to Minnesota. I’ll spell backmost and recalibrate pinch my family and talk pinch them and walk immoderate clip pinch them, and past evidently erstwhile nan clip comes, you guys will cognize what I determine to do."

The Thunder dispatched nan Lakers successful 4 games pinch a 115-110 victory. The squad had been without Luka Doncic, a cardinal portion to nan team’s coagulated season. He missed nan full playoffs pinch a hamstring injury.

James led Los Angeles to a first-round upset complete nan Houston Texans earlier moving into nan defending NBA champions successful nan 2nd round.

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Lakers defender Austin Reaves pats guardant LeBron James connected nan backmost successful nan closing minutes of Game 4 against nan Oklahoma City Thunder successful Los Angeles connected May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

"It’s astonishing what he’s doing retired location astatine this age," Thunder prima Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's very impressive. It's difficult to put it to words. He's not very aged successful nan expansive strategy of life, but for nan NBA, he's beautiful old, and he doesn't look for illustration it retired there. He was a force. He was nan apical of nan scouting study each series. His size gave america issues astatine times. He was awesome retired there. I'm not judge we'll spot thing for illustration that again, his longevity and his greatness."

He said he will talk his early pinch his family complete a fewer glasses of wine.

"Nobody has immoderate thought what nan early holds, and I don’t either," James said. "I’ll return clip to recalibrate and look complete nan play and spot what’s champion for my future, and erstwhile I get to that point, everyone will know."

James, a 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, is nan all-time leader successful points scored, games played and section goals attempted.

LeBron James of nan Los Angeles Lakers walks onto nan tribunal to lukewarm up earlier Game 4 of nan second-round NBA playoffs against nan Oklahoma City Thunder successful Los Angeles connected May 11, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

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He averaged 20.9 points and 6.1 rebounds successful 60 games played this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.