LeBron James remained noncommittal about his NBA future following the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
The visiting Thunder clinched a 115-110 victory, sweeping the Western Conference semifinal series. James posted 24 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the defeat.
Now 41 years old, James has just completed his record-extending 23rd NBA season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. When asked about what lies ahead, he was cautious.
“What my future holds, I don’t know, obviously,” James said after the game. “This is still fresh from the loss, and I honestly don’t know right now. I’ve got plenty of time to sit back, recalibrate with my family, talk things through, and spend time with them. When the time comes, you’ll all know what I decide.”
Selected to his 22nd consecutive All-Star Game, James adapted to an unfamiliar role this season. Luka Dončić emerged as the Lakers’ primary offensive threat, leading the league with 33.5 points per game. Austin Reaves followed at 23.3 ppg, with James third at 20.9 ppg to go along with 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
Dončić missed the entire postseason due to a hamstring injury, while Reaves sat out the final five regular-season games and first four playoff games with oblique strains. During the playoffs, James averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
“Obviously we fell a little short, but I’m not looking at my year as a disappointment, that’s for damn sure,” James said. “I was put in positions I’ve never played in my career—actually in my life. I’ve never been a third option. To thrive in that role for a while and then step back into my more familiar role, and have my teammates allow me to lead under extreme circumstances—I thought that was pretty cool at this stage of my career.”
Reaves, 27, also faces a pivotal decision. He holds a $14.9 million player option and is widely expected to decline it, entering unrestricted free agency.
“It’s been fun, a joy, and a grind,” Reaves said after the loss. “A lot of things didn’t go our way, but there were opportunities to quit, and that’s not who we are in this locker room. Everybody stuck together. I’ve been in the league for five years, and a lot of teams would have given up with all the late-season injuries we had. That wasn’t the case here.”
