LEBRON JAMES has dropped a major retirement hint in an teasing new advert.
The LA Lakers superstar finds himself at a pivotal crossroads in his illustrious career weeks after crashing out of the first round of the play-offs to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
XLeBron James has dropped a major retirement hint as NBA legend mulls over future[/caption] James could enter his 23rd season in 2025-2026At 40 years old, James’ pending retirement has been on everybody’s lips for the last two seasons.
The basketball icon remained tight-lipped after LA were dumped out in the play-offs, telling reporters he “didn’t know” what the future held.
And now James has decided to address the speculation head-on in a new ad.
He posted a seven-second clip of him sitting at a faux press conference when one person asked: “Are the retirement rumors true?”
As James was set to answer into the microphone with cameras flashing, the clip quickly cut to black without any response.
The four-time NBA champion captioned his X post with: “I’ve been asking myself the same question… .”
James is heading into the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Lakers, though he holds a player option for the 2025-26 season.
That option, valued at $52.6 million, requires a decision by June 29.
If James decides not to opt-in, he would become a free agent.
The U.S Sun revealed that James feels he has “at least one more year” left in him and is even willing to take a significant pay cut to continue playing.
The U.S. Sun understands the sports legend is open to taking a $10 million pay cut for the 2025-26 season, potentially opting out of his current contract to help the Lakers bolster their roster.
If James decides to continue, he will be the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons if he suits up for the 2025-26 campaign.
A source added that James has “plenty of gas left in the tank” and that his desire to continue working with the Lakers’ new co-star Luka Doncic—as well as helping his son Bronny transition into the NBA—is driving his decision to keep playing.
“The connection with Luka is the best one he’s had with a co-star in years,” an insider explained.
“LeBron believes another season will help Luka grow into the role of guiding the franchise once he retires.”
GettyJames will likely want to continue working with new Lakers co-star Luka Doncic[/caption]Additionally, The U.S. Sun has learned that James’ personal staff and coaching team have already been instructed to begin preparations for the next season.
The 21-time All-Star can still dominate games with his quarterback-like dissection ability and powerful down-court drives.
James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game, shooting 51.3 per cent from the field and 37.6 per cent from three-point land in Year 22.
Completing a blockbuster trade for a center this off could help James and the Lakers bounce back from their postseason loss to the Timberwolves and win their first championship since the 2019-20 campaign.
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