May 12 (UPI) — NBA legend LeBron James said he is unsure what his “future holds” after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James recorded 24 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in a season-ending loss in the Western Conference semifinals series Monday in Los Angeles. The four-time MVP averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game in his 23rd season.
James, who earned a team-high $52.6 million in 2025-26, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2018. NBA free agency negotiations can start June 30.
“None of us know what the future holds,” James told reporters. “None of us. Nobody has any idea what the future holds and I don’t either. I’ll take time to recalibrate, look over the season and see what’s best for my future. When I get to that point, everyone will know.”
James was the leading scorer for his team in each of his first 16 seasons, including a scoring champion campaign in 2007-08. He was the second-leading scorer, behind Anthony Davis, in his second season with the Lakers (2020-21). The Lakers, who won a championship that year, acquired Luka Doncic five years later. James finished second in scoring that campaign. He was third in scoring, behind Doncic and Austin Reaves, in 2025-26.
James cited his injury-triggered hiatus to start the season, self-doubt and being a “third option” for the first time in his life as new challenges. He said he needs to speak to his children and wife and consider if he can again commit to the process of preparation before he decides if he wants to play a record-extending 24th season.
“With my future, I don’t know, honestly,” James said. “It’s, obviously, it’s still fresh from, obviously, losing. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
The Lakers won 53 games in 2025-26, their most since coach Phil Jackson’s final season in 2010-11. They then broke down due to injuries at the end of the season, forcing James to return to a familiar role as primary scorer.
James averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in that role this postseason.
“I can leave the floor saying, [expletive], even though I hate losing obviously, I was locked in on what we needed to do,” James said. “I tried to make sure our guys were locked in on what we needed to do throughout the postseason, throughout 10 games.
“And obviously we fell a little short, but I’m not looking at my year as a disappointment, that’s for sure.”
Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard join James among Lakers players set to hit free agency. Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in 2025-26 before he sustained an oblique injury, resulting in the end of his regular season. He returned to average 20 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game over the Lakers’ final six playoff games.
“I think for me it’s about the process,” James said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena 5 1/2 hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play.
“Showing up to practices, 11:00 a.m. practice, I’m there at 8:00 preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in. So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process and not the aftermath. … So I think that would be a big factor.”
James’ eight years with the Lakers are the most consecutive seasons he has spent with one team. He cited winning a fifth NBA title as a “motivating factor” for extending his career.
“The love of the game is always there,” James said.
