{"id":581538,"date":"2026-04-02T22:09:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T22:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/581538\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T22:09:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T22:09:09","slug":"lebron-james-could-retire-weeks-after-nba-finals-if-lakers-make-title-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/581538\/","title":{"rendered":"LeBron James Could Retire Weeks After NBA Finals If Lakers Make Title Run"},"content":{"rendered":"

NBA legend LeBron James<\/a> is still undecided on his playing future, but much depends on what happens over the next few months.<\/p>\n

With the Lakers<\/a> sitting at third in the West (50-26) and in position to secure home-court advantage in the first round, a championship run is not out of the question. If they do finish the job, it could serve as the ultimate farewell for James, who\u2019d be inclined to call it quits right then and there.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy feeling in talking with other people around the league is that if the Lakers do go on that magical run and they go to the NBA Finals and they somehow win the Larry O\u2019Brien trophy, I think that would be it for LeBron,\u201d said Brett Siegel on \u2018Clutch Hoops\u2019<\/a>. \u201cI think that he would retire on a high note, go out as a champion. I think that\u2019s just something to kind of keep an eye on and keep in the back of our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much has been made about LeBron\u2019s upcoming decision, and not even he may know what comes next<\/a>. With his 2-year, $101.3 million contract set to expire this summer, he\u2019ll be an unrestricted free agent for the fourth time in his career, and he\u2019ll have several options to consider, including the situation with his sons, Bronny and Bryce.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the mind is still in it, then I think everything will take care of itself,\u201d said LeBron James on \u2018Bob Does Sports.\u2019<\/a> \u201cFor me, I love the process. If I can continue to be process-oriented, getting to the arena early, 5 hours before, locking in, excited about it, then I can do it forever. When it gets to that point where I feel like I don\u2019t want to go early or don\u2019t want to work out or train, then I\u2019ll be cheating the game, and I don\u2019t want to do that. (On Bronny), I have even more of a purpose to show up to work, to work out and train, because I know he\u2019s looking like \u2018ok, that\u2019s how you be a professional right there.\u2019 So I have a responsibility with him around.\u201d<\/p>\n

With James and the front office not seeing eye-to-eye over the past few years, it makes sense for him to leave the franchise and play out his final season(s) somewhere else<\/a>. The Knicks<\/a>, Warriors<\/a>, and Cavaliers<\/a> make the most obvious picks, but there are other teams that could join the mix. Of course, he could also sign another short-term contract to stay with the Lakers, given that both Reaves and Doncic want to see him back next season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a perfect world, however, LeBron wouldn\u2019t have to come back at all. If the Lakers are able to win the championship this season (18th in franchise history), they could send LeBron off on the ultimate high note. While he would forfeit his chance at a farewell tour (and the chance for back-to-back rings), it\u2019s the best way for him to go out: as the ultimate winner with nothing left to prove.<\/p>\n

If they win this season, it will be the final proof that LeBron can succeed in any role, whether as a leading superstar or a supporting role player. At 41 years old, another title at this stage would be the crowning mark of his longevity and a feat that would be nearly impossible for anyone to match.<\/p>\n

The best-case scenario for LeBron would be to thrive in his role as the third offensive option and help the Lakers win it all before closing out his career<\/a>. It\u2019d leave nothing left unsaid and ensure that the King can go out with pride instead of withering away and slowly losing his status. While there\u2019s much more for LeBron to consider (including the potential arrival of his youngest son, Bryce), everything could change for the King if the Lakers win the Finals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With his fifth championship, it would be enough to tie Kobe Bryant<\/a> and etch his name in history as one of the winningest players in basketball. It\u2019s hard to beat that kind of exit, and it\u2019s why everything hinges on how the Lakers play from here through June.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NBA legend LeBron James is still undecided on his playing future, but much depends on what happens over…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":483187,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-581538","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=581538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/483187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=581538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=581538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=581538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}