LeBron James considering retirement after Los Angeles Lakers swept by Denver Nuggets
CNN —
After 20 incredible years in the NBA, LeBron James has added to speculation that he could finally be hanging up his sneakers for good.
This comes after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the Western Conference Finals by Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets following a disappointing 113-111 Game 4 loss.
“We’ll see what happens going forward. I don’t know,” the NBA’s all-time leading scorer said to reporters post-game. “I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest.
“Just for me, personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said he followed up with James following the press conference to further elaborate on his comments adding that retirement is under consideration.
“When you say you got to think about stuff, what thread should we be pulling on that?” McMenamin said he asked to which James replied, “If I want to continue to play.”
James later added that he’d have to think about it when pushed further about walking away next year, according to McMenamin. The Lakers star has one year left in his contract with the team after signing a two-year contract extension prior to the season.
CNN has reached out to James’ representative but did not immediately hear back.
Despite James' best efforts, the Lakers lost 113-111 against the Nuggets. Mark J. Terrill/AP
In the win-or-go-home game, LeBron and Co. were looking to make history by overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to advance to the NBA Finals.
Mission impossible almost got off to the perfect start, but the Nuggets came up strong in the clutch and thwarted James’ efforts to send the game to overtime.
Marked by Nuggets wing Aaron Gordon, ‘King James’ missed two opportunities to save the game. The first a tough shot way off the mark, bouncing off the side of the glass. Then with the season truly on the line, Gordon blocked a James floater with 1.1 left on the clock.
Monday’s reversal on considering retirement comes as a surprise after the four-time champion previously said he’d like to play his final NBA season alongside his son Bronny James in an interview with The Athletic in 2022.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
LeBron James does his chalk toss ritual before a game in 2008. Basketball players use chalk to help them grip the ball better. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images James was born in Akron, Ohio, on December 30, 1984. He is 6 months old, he said, in this photo he posted to Instagram for his 35th birthday. From Lebron James/Instagram A young James plays on a toy basketball hoop at Christmas time. "I guess I was kinda born to do this," he said on Instagram From Lebron James/Instagram James, left, poses with some of his teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School during his freshman year. Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal/Tribune News Service/Getty Images James throws down a dunk during a game in Trenton, New Jersey, in February 2003. James was just a junior in high school when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as "The Chosen One." He was such a star that ESPN aired some of his high school games. Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images James shakes hands with NBA star Michael Jordan after Jordan played a game in Cleveland in April 2003. James chose the number 23 because of Jordan. David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty Images As expected, James went straight from high school to the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the league draft. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, a long-suffering franchise close to his hometown of Akron. Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images James goes up for a layup during his NBA debut on October 29, 2003. He scored 25 points in a loss at Sacramento. In his first season in the NBA, James won the league's Rookie of the Year Award. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images James played on the US Olympic basketball team in August 2004, but it ended with a disappointing bronze medal. He would be back. John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images James, center, goes up for a rebound with Tim Duncan during the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. He was named the game's most valuable player — the youngest to ever receive the award. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images James sits with his young son, Bronny, and teammate Drew Gooden during a game in Cleveland in March 2007. David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty Images James misses a potential game-tying 3-pointer in Game 3 of the 2007 NBA Finals. James' Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images James hosts the ESPY Awards in July 2007. This played off his "King James" nickname. Christopher Polk/FilmMagic/Getty Images James appears on stage with rapper Jay-Z during a Cleveland concert for presidential candidate Barack Obama in October 2008. Jamie Sabau/Getty Images James, seen here between Dwyane Wade and head coach Mike Krzyzewski, returned to the Olympics in August 2008 as part of the "Redeem Team" that went on to win gold. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images James celebrates after hitting a game-winning shot to win a playoff game against Orlando in May 2009. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images James won his first league MVP award in May 2009. He would also win the award in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images James gets a kiss from his mother after a playoff game in May 2010. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images In July 2010, James speaks with ESPN's Jim Gray at the Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was there that he announced, live on an ESPN program called "The Decision," that he would be leaving Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat. "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach," said James, who was a free agent. The show raised millions of dollars for the Boys & Girls Club, but James' decision to leave Cleveland — and announce it live on national television — was criticized by many. Larry Busacca/Getty Images James greets Miami fans during a pep rally at the American Airlines Arena in July 2010. He was joined by Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the other two stars in the Heat's "Big 3" superteam. During the event, James boasted about how many titles they would win together. Doug Benc/Getty Images Wade reacts as James dunks the ball during a game in Milwaukee in December 2010. They made the NBA Finals in their first season together but lost to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Morry Gash/AP James reads in the locker room before an NBA Finals game in June 2012. The Heat were back in the Finals, this time facing the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images James dunks over Serge Ibaka during Game 2 of the Finals in June 2012. The Heat went on to win in five games, giving James his first NBA title. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images James celebrates with teammates after the Heat won the 2012 NBA Finals. James is holding the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, right, and the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award. David Alvarez/NBAE/Getty Images James was part of the 2012 Olympic team that successfully defended its gold medal in London. Christian Petersen/Getty Images James describes his excitement as the Heat visit the White House in January 2013: "We're in the White House right now, which is like 'Mama, I made it.'" Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images James and the Heat defended their title in the 2013 NBA Finals, defeating San Antonio in seven games. James was once again Finals MVP. Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images James and Savannah Brinson attend the 2013 ESPY Awards in July 2013. The two married in September of that year. They have three children together: Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri. Christopher Polk/Getty Images James appears on a Nike poster outside Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena in October 2014, a few months after he announced that he would be returning to the Cavaliers as a free agent. Jason Miller/Getty Images James poses with his new "Big 3" in Cleveland: Kevin Love, left, and Kyrie Irving. Gregory Shamus/NBAE/Getty Images James appears as himself in the 2015 comedic film "Trainwreck" starring Bill Hader, right, and Amy Schumer. Universal/Everett Collection James, seen here in March 2015, was determined to bring Cleveland its first championship in franchise history. "I'm ready to accept the challenge," he said when he revealed his plans to return to the Cavaliers. "I"m coming home." The Cavs made the NBA Finals in his first season back, but they fell short to the Golden State Warriors. David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty Images James runs down Golden State's Andre Iguodala on a play in the 2016 NBA Finals that became known simply as "The Block." The defensive play, late in Game 7, helped lift the Cavaliers past the Warriors in what was a rematch from the year before. Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images An emotional James hugs Love after Cleveland defeated Golden State to win the title in 2016. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images James tries to direct teammate J.R. Smith on a last-second play in the 2018 NBA Finals. The Cavaliers and the Warriors played in four straight NBA Finals, from 2015 to 2018. The Warriors won three of the four. Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images James addresses a crowd at the grand opening of his "I Promise" school in Akron in July 2018. James' foundation teamed with the Akron Public Schools system to open a school supporting at-risk children. Allison Farrand/NBAE/Getty Images James signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2018. Here, he drives to the basket during a home game against Washington in November 2019. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images James and the Lakers won a title together in 2020, when the entire playoffs were held in Florida because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was James' fourth NBA title. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images James appears with Tweety Bird in the film "Space Jam: A New Legacy" in 2021. Warner Bros/Everett Collection James poses with his two sons — Bronny, left, and Bryce — at his former high school in Akron in July 2022. Bronny is one of the best high school players in the country, and his dad said he wants to finish his career by playing with him in the NBA. Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record of 38,387 points during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7, 2023. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images In pictures: NBA great LeBron James Prev Next
Despite the loss and his postgame comments, James’ Game 4 performance showed the 20-year veteran could easily continue his stellar career, to play with Bronny, if he so wished.
LeBron played all 48 minutes, scored 40 points on 15-of-25 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out nine assists, as the 38-year-old left it all on the floor in an all-encompassing performance.
Yet, as so often in his long career, LeBron’s individual brilliance wasn’t enough and the Nuggets were able to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history without dropping a game in the series.
Jokić had another standout series for Denver, and the two-time regular season MVP was awarded the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP trophy.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić won the series MVP trophy. Ashley Landis/AP
In Game 4, the ‘Joker’ was at his all-around best, with 30 points, 14 boards and 13 assists. The latest in a long line of triple-doubles also meant that Jokić broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 1967 record of the most triple-doubles in a playoff run – the Serbian star adding his eighth of the postseason.
“I think he’s showing other people nationally that he’s real. Like what he’s doing is real. The MVPs are real. The triple-doubles are real,” said Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on his star player. “The guy is a great player; give him his damn respect. Stop chopping him down at the knees. He’s a great player and give him the respect he deserves.”
The Nuggets can now look forward to the NBA Finals as they wait to see who wins between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Source: CNN
