As has been the case throughout recent years of his Lakers tenure, LeBron James did not offer much indication on his future after the team’s playoff exit.
The end of every Lakers season brings with it increasing trepidation about LeBron James’ future.
It’s clear his time in the NBA is coming to an end. How close that finality is remains unclear, but Wednesday brought those questions to the forefront once again. With the purple and gold suffering another disappointing season-ending playoff defeat, focus shifted to LeBron and his postgame comments.
But as has been the case for most recent seasons, LeBron was non-committal about his future, stating he would spend time this summer with his family before coming to a decision.
LeBron on what comes next: “I don’t have an answer to that. I’ll sit down with my wife, family and support group … have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. We’ll see.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 1, 2025
More so than recent seasons, LeBron’s future feels a bit more secure. Adding Luka Dončić changes the dynamic when it comes to LeBron.
With Anthony Davis, it felt like the pair were riding a sinking ship on its final trip. With Luka, the future is far brighter and far different. The asks of LeBron have changed and he has a less demanding outlook on the court so long as he lines up alongside Luka.
None of that is to mention getting to play with Bronny this season, too, which he called the top career achievement postgame.
“Number 1. For sure. That’s easy, it’s not even close”
LeBron when asked where playing alongside Bronny ranks amongst his career achievements ️ pic.twitter.com/HX3ShfwOFt
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 1, 2025
He also ends the season healthier than he was in previous years, too. At times, he’s limped into the offseason, literally and metaphorically, and that wasn’t the case this year.
And perhaps most importantly, it’s hard to imagine LeBron just walking off into the sunset without a farewell tour. He will want to announce his final season before it happens.
Now, it’s entirely possible that is next season and we are, in fact, very close to the end of his career. But it feels highly unlikely that we just saw LeBron put on an NBA jersey for the last time.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.