LeBron James’s Simple Message About Retirement Decision Headlines All-Star Press Conference

As he has for the last couple of seasons, LeBron James held his own All-Star weekend press conference on Sunday ahead of the actual All-Star Game itself.

The Lakers superstar was not voted as a starter for the first time in decades but was included as a reserve to continue his remarkable, historic streak of 22 consecutive All-Star selections. Even still the NBA opted to hold James’s media availability on Sunday after his fellow All-Star attendees spoke on Saturday. It’s the fourth year in a row James has been given his own timeslot for All-Star interviews.

Given this season’s ongoing speculation about what James will do when his contract expires with Los Angeles at the end of the year, it was easy to wonder if a big announcement might come during his solo presser ahead of the ASG. That was not the case. James took questions as if it were a standard press conference and hit a variety of topics. He did, however, take one question about his NBA future—and the simple message he conveyed in response made for the biggest takeaway of Sunday’s availability.

Over the recent seasons James has responded to inquiries about his potential retirement the same way: he does not yet know for sure what next season holds. Nevertheless, he was asked if he had an “inkling” of what he wanted to do next year.

“I want to live,” James replied bluntly. He let that line sit for a moment before continuing.

“When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. Just want to live, that’s all.”

LeBron James on his plans for next year 😂

"I want to live." pic.twitter.com/pLwgEC8bKV
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 15, 2026

At 41 years old, James is still entirely capable of playing NBA basketball at an elite level (and clearly has been watching Kyle Shanahan press conferences). He is no longer an unholy terror on the hardwood who can win games by way of sheer will, but the future Hall of Famer is scoring 22 points to go with 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game in his 23rd professional season. Thus, unlike many past athletes in his situation, James’s decision to walk away will be entirely his rather than a reality forced upon him by his decline on the court.

Chris Paul’s decision to step away from the NBA earlier this week shines a further spotlight on James because it is another reminder of just how long he’s been around. James was already the best player in the NBA by the time Paul was drafted in 2005 and remains among the top tier with Paul hanging up his sneakers in ‘26. How much longer can James go on?

It is a question that was asked of him in this press conference and will be asked at regular intervals in the coming future until James has an answer. On Sunday he reiterated he still does not have that answer.

What else LeBron James talked about in his pregame interview on All-Star Sunday

Aside from the talk of retirement, James hit a few other interesting topics while meeting with the media on Sunday. Here’s a look at his most notable quotes that came out of his individual availability.

Honest outlook on Lakers’ season

The Lakers enter the All-Star break holding the fifth seed in the West with a 33-21 record. In the week leading up to All-Star weekend, James’s Lakers suffered a narrow 119-110 loss to the defending champion Thunder. Afterwards, the superstar forward starkly assessed the differences between the two sides, stating Los Angeles isn’t capable of “sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes,” the way Oklahoma City can and that’s why the Thunder are a championship team while the Lakers are not. It was an illuminating quote from the longtime superstar in regards to his team’s place on the contention landscape.

On Sunday James gave more insightful (and brutally honest) comments on his team when asked what he thought the Lakers are capable of.

“It’s too hard to really say what we’re capable of,” James said. “I know that when we’ve played some of our best basketball this season, we've looked very good. On the other side, [when] we've been terrible, we've looked disgusting. I think the most important thing is if we get healthy, how many minutes we can be on the floor, how much chemistry we can build, with this sprint starting.”

LeBron James on what he thinks the Lakers are capable of accomplishing this season.

“It's too hard to really say what we're capable of. I know when we've played some of our best basketball this season, we've looked very good, on the other side, we've been terrible, we've looked… pic.twitter.com/ABecG2nM6o
— Ricardo K Sandoval (@_RicardoSand) February 15, 2026

What it means to play in Los Angeles for the All-Star Game

This year’s All-Star Game is being held at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. It’s a big deal for the Clippers to get such an event in their second year of having their own arena after sharing with the Lakers in the years prior. James was asked about what it means to play in his home city of L.A. for the ASG this year, and was quick to note he was in enemy territory.

“[It means] nothing, because this is not our building. Nothing at all. This is a road game.”

Lebron on the all star game in LA:

"This is not our building. This is a road game" 😂 pic.twitter.com/hK7pxlHxKN
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 15, 2026

What he’ll do after his NBA career

As noted above, James received one direct question about his retirement plans, but it wasn’t the only inquiry about his post-playing career. He was also asked if he’d given any thought to how he’s going to approach his life after the NBA. James didn’t offer much in terms of concrete plans but gave an interesting answer about where his priorities will lie.

“What I want to do at 45, 50 and 55 will be a lot of creating great vibes and fun with my family and my friends,” James said. “That’s one of my passions: create memories that will last forever. That’s for sure the most important for me. Creating things we will never, ever forget.”

LeBron on what he wants to do once he retires:

“What I want to do at 45, 50 and 55 will be a lot of creating great vibes and fun with my family and my friends. That's one of my passions: create memories that will last forever”

h/t @ohnohedidnt24 pic.twitter.com/xnB4G1WKws
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) February 15, 2026

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