LeBron considering retirement? James says he had ‘a lot to think about’ after the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the conference finals, ending the 20th season of his NBA career
- James’ 20th season with the league came to an abrupt halt on Monday night
- The 38-year-old has previously spoken of a desire to play with his oldest son
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
LeBron James gave a cryptic answer when asked about his NBA future following the Lakers’ season loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday in Los Angeles.
“I’ve got a lot to think about,” James said after scoring 40 points as the Lakers dropped Game 4 to the Nuggets, officially sweeping out their season. “Just face-to-face with me to get on with the basketball game…I have a lot to think about.”
James was not necessarily referring to the possibility of retirement and resisted questions about his immediate future during Monday’s post-game press conference.
He has previously stated his intention to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny, who is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Anyway, the future Hall of Famer now heads into the off-season weighing both his future with the Lakers and a potential 21st NBA season.
LeBron James gave an ambiguous answer to questions about his future in the NBA
The 38-year-old was denied by the Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon on the last possession in the loss
¿I have a lot to think about¿ Personally because I am moving on from the game of basketball¿ I have a lot to think about.¿
LeBron considers retirement??? ¿¿
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 23, 2023
Naturally, James’ comment sparked social media speculation.
“I’m not ready for LeBron to retire,” one fan wrote.
Others didn’t believe in the retirement talk.
“Everyone knows damn well that LeBron isn’t retiring,” one fan wrote. “That’s where I put my house and everything I own.”
James and the Los Angeles Lakers were swept Monday night by the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets
After ending Q1 with 31 points, he could only add nine more in the remaining quarters
James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists after the best-scoring postseason half of his career, but even the leading scorer in NBA history couldn’t hold onto the deep, dynamic Nuggets of their sixth straight win.
James missed two equalizing shots in the dying seconds, with Aaron Gordon officially taking credit for blocking his equalizing effort at the buzzer.
The Lakers reversed a seven-point deficit and tied with five minutes to play, but Jokic hit a 25-yard fallaway 3-pointer. After Davis hit two free throws to tie the score with 1:13 left, Jokic put the Nuggets ahead again.
James then missed a strange fallaway jumper with 26 seconds left. Jamal Murray missed a turnaround to give the Lakers one last chance, but James’ drive at the buzzer was thwarted by Murray and Gordon, who scored 22 points.