LeBron James could choose whatever path he wants for his basketball future.
But as far as retirement is concerned, it’s starting to sound like the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has made up his mind.
ESPN’s Shams Charania joined The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to speak about what’s next for James, who has a player option on his Lakers contract for the 2025-26 season.
“I’m told LeBron James is likely to opt in,” Charnia said on the show.
James will make about $52 million for the season on his contract if he indeed opts in to the option.
“He’s got a massive player option, and that’s the plan,” Charania said.
James doesn’t have to make his mind up fully yet, though.
“He still has about a month to figure it out,” Charania said.
James, 40, just completed his 22nd NBA season. He has made an All-NBA team each of the past 21 seasons.
The King played this past winter with his oldest child, LeBron James Jr., aka Bronny.
His other son, Bryce, will be 2026 NBA Draft eligible, although his game isn’t as advanced as Bronny’s at the same stage. Bryce will enroll at Arizona in the fall to play collegiately for Sean Miller.
LeBron has already spoken publicly about how he was looking forward to spending the offseason watching his daughter, Zhuri, play volleyball.
It seems like James would’ve already retired if he was going to do so, and Charania’s latest reporting aligns with that.
The King is probably coming back, so preserve his crown.
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