LeBron James will continue his NBA career for a 24th season; it just won’t be in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.
The league’s all-time leading scorer reportedly told the team he spent the last 8 seasons with that he will be moving on and taking his talents to a new location.
“LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN,” said Shams Charania in a Tuesday morning post on X.
James won a championship with the Lakers in 2020, captured Finals MVP, and further cemented himself as one of the greatest basketball players ever by doing things that very few believed possible at his age.
He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career points record, made 8 All-Star appearances, 7 All-NBA teams, and led the league in assists during the 2019-20 season. Still, the most miraculous achievement during his time in purple and gold might be outlasting Father Time for long enough to play on the same team as his son.
Admiration and criticism followed James at every turn in Los Angeles. He was revered and also disliked. Loved and hated. Much like the rest of his career, but in Hollywood, both sides felt louder.
LeBron James is one of the most polarizing figures in modern-day sports, and when someone reaches the top of the mountain, there are bound to be supporters, but also those who want to see them come crashing down.
“I’m told this is a happiness-led decision for LeBron James. He feels like he needs to find his happiness elsewhere. Wherever he lands in free agency, it will not be driven by money accourding to sources,” said Charania.
His time as a Laker should be celebrated. James brought a title to the city and turned around an organization that picked 2nd overall in the draft for 3 consecutive years. Before coming to town, the Lakers were stuck in by far the worst stretch in franchise history. LA had not made the playoffs for 5 straight seasons; they had only missed the postseason 5 times in their previous 65 campaigns.
Just 2 years after signing on, the Lakers were raising a banner. The massive turnaround is not talked about enough when reflecting on James’ time with the team.
“That championship doesn’t count because it was in the bubble,” some would say. “LeBron will never be Kobe,” others would argue.
The truth is, LeBron could never win with these people. Even if he added a second title in LA, anti-LeBron fans would say “Kobe won 5 as a Laker and Jordan won 6 in Chicago, never losing in the NBA Finals.”
Most hardcore basketball followers understand his greatness and can recognize that what James did in a Lakers uniform was special. The only disappointing part is that James himself never seemed to receive the full love he deserved from a portion of the Lakers’ faithful, and it might be why he will retire with a different team.
LeBron James next team remains a mystery for now, but 3 teams have already emerged as the frontrunners to land the 41-year-old: The Golden State Warriors, the Miami Heat, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In Golden State, he would have the chance to team up with his longtime rival and friend, Stephen Curry. With the Heat, he could play alongside Bam Adebayo and the newly acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo. Both are enticing options that would give him another chance to compete for a championship, but the Warriors would be a very old roster, and James might have mixed feelings about rejoining Pat Riley’s leadership in Miami.
James will make his own decision, obviously, but from the outside looking in, Cleveland feels like the choice. It is home; the fans will love him, and the Cavaliers have built a team ready to do some serious damage if LeBron James were reinserted into the starting lineup.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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