LeBron James Hints at Retirement Following Lakers’ Playoff Loss to Nuggets

LeBron James will not win another championship this season as the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals on Monday night. And when speaking to reporters after Game 4 of the series, James hinted at retirement after playing in the league for nearly 20 years. 

The 38-year-old ended the press conference by saying, “Going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about, James said. ESPN then asked James to elaborate on the statement. “If I want to continue to play,” James said. The outlet also asked if he meant next season, to which James replied “Yeah.” He was then asked if he’ll walk away, and James said “I got to think about it.”

Despite coming up short in the playoffs, James and the Lakers had a good playoff run since they were the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. And James showed his toughness during the postseason, playing in all 17 games while still dealing with a foot injury that caused him to miss a month during the regular season due to torn tendon. James told ESPN that he will get an MRI on the foot and see if the tendon has healed or not. 

“I knew I could get to the finish line,” James told ESPN. “Obviously, I knew I had to deal with it and deal with the pain or deal with not being able to be myself before the injury, but there was nothing that made me feel like I couldn’t get to the finish line.”

When it comes to James’ career he has done everything an NBA player can accomplish, including winning multiple titles, calming multiple MVP awards and becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The one thing James would like to do is play in the league with his son, Bronny, who will play college basketball at USC next season. But James has recently taken a step back on his stance of playing in the league with Bronny.

“I’ve done what I’ve had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey,” he said. “And whatever his journey, however his journey lays out, he’s going to do what’s best for him. And as his dad, and his mom, Savannah, and his brother and sister, we’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do. So, just because that’s my aspiration or my goal, doesn’t mean it’s his. And I’m absolutely OK with that.”