- LeBron James has played 22 seasons in the NBA now, and has played seven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning a title in 2020.
- James and the Lakers lost in five games to Minnesota in the first round of the NBA playoffs on Wednesday night.
- The 40-year-old James was coy about his future in his post-game press conference.
That LeBron James is still an All-NBA level of player in his 22nd season, at 40 years old, is an athletic marvel. The Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar is well past his prime, but James is still capable of dominating games and leading his team.
However, James and the Lakers were ousted in five games on Wednesday night in their first-round series with Minnesota. The four-time NBA champion was coy about his future when asked in his post-game press conference.
Despite Monster Effort from James, Lakers’ Lack of Depth and Size Needs to Be Addressed
James played 40 minutes and had 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, but he was also a team-worst -14 on the floor in a 103-96 loss to the Timberwolves.
The four-time NBA MVP averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, along with 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks. He turned back the clock at times in this series at both ends of the floor, but at 40 years old, it’s tough for even LeBron James to sustain that in the playoffs.
James was asked about his future in a post-game press conference, and said:
"I don't know. I don't have an answer to that. Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife, and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.”
When asked about the Lakers’ roster, James replied:
"It's a business, so you don't know what the roster will look like next year besides the guys that [are] locked into contracts. S—, I got a lot to think about myself. So, I don't know what the roster will look like. I don't know where I stand right now."
The Lakers have plenty of questions heading into the offseason. The Luka Dončić trade, sending Anthony Davis to Dallas, entirely changed their team. Doncic has inconsistent since coming to Los Angeles, but with a full offseason, he should be better next season. James has a player option for $52 million that he has to consider. The Lakers also have to worry about Austin Reaves, who has a player option after next season, but will be looking for a raise on his $13 million contract.
The Lakers need size and depth to seriously compete in the Western Conference, which is getting better all the time. They were dominated by Rudy Gobert in the post in Game 5, as the Frenchman went for 27 points and 24 rebounds against the Lakers, who played Rui Hachimura at center. Head coach J.J. Redick also made news in Game 4 for playing James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith for the entire second half. A team with their lack of depth shouldn’t have great NBA championship odds.
Would LeBron James Actually Retire?
Take James’ comments at the end of Game 5 with a grain of salt. There was a lot of frustration as the Lakers had just been eliminated at home. James was also exhausted after averaging 40.6 minutes over the season.
James was excellent this season and continues to play at a high level. But the Lakers need to re-tool around him and Doncic as James can’t carry a team anymore, and shouldn’t be expected to. You’ll probably come across some LeBron James retirement odds at NBA betting sites soon, but James retiring after this season isn’t a likely option as he chases his fifth NBA title.
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