LeBron James set the alarm for the Los Angeles Lakers when he made some concerning comments about his future with the team and the NBA in general. Following a painful sweep against the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, the King opened the door for a potential retirement.
Recent reports suggest that he’s set to stay active next season, but there’s a chance that LeBron won’t be a part of the Lakers next campaign. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, James could play for a different team or simply retire.
“Based on conversations I’ve had over the past week or so, I’d say there’s about a 10 percent chance LeBron James isn’t back as a Laker next season, either due to retirement or playing for another team. Everyone with and around the team I’ve spoken to believes he’s returning.”
James has been very active on social media recently, as he keeps sending messages about his post-NBA future and what his career would mean to his fans. Buha adds that his recent Instagram stories could be a hint that he needs to take a break.
“James’ recent Instagram story, in which he stated, “I’m suppose to be #1 on everybody list/We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist,” referencing lyrics from Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say,” was intriguing. Remember: Jay-Z announced he was retiring, only to return a few years later and make multiple albums since then. Could James be hinting he needs a break? Maybe a year away from the game, only to return to play alongside his son, Bronny, in 2024-25? That could be the case.”
Still, he makes it clear that as of right now, nobody on the Lakers thinks LeBron is retiring or demanding a trade.
“But the assumption remains that James will return. The Lakers are approaching this offseason as if he’ll be a part of the 2023-24 squad.”
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that James is set to fulfill his current Lakers deal and he’ll return for year 21. After that, the picture isn’t that clear. LeBron has stated his desire to play with Bronny James in the league before, but recently made a U-turn, saying that he won’t be mad if he can’t share touches with his first son.
LeBron James Keeps Posting Cryptic Instagram Stories Amid Retirement Rumors
All the messages he’s shared on social media make people wonder what’s really going on in James’ mind. The Lakers assembled a terrific team ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, but it wasn’t only good enough to make it to the Western Conference Finals.
They need to make some changes this offseason, and James appears to be pushing for a Kyrie Irving move. He’s been warned against that, knowing how terrible it went when the team traded for Russell Westbrook.
The 2023 Los Angeles Lakers are a great team that ran into the best of the West, and if they can improve that roster ahead of the next season, this team will have a big chance to win another championship with LeBron on the court.
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