Lakers' LeBron James Refuses to Answer Question About Playing Future

The Los Angeles Lakers were once again sent home early this season. L.A. dropped a pivotal Game 5 that would have kept their season alive to the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves.

Instead, the Timberwolves took care of business three games in a row to send L.A. packing. The Lakers now have a massive summer in front of them, one that is expected to be promising.

Ultimately, the spotlight will be firmly fixed on Luka Doncic and what lies ahead for him in Los Angeles, as well as on Rob Pelinka and his moves to strengthen the roster around the superstar guard.

In addition, many will be watching closely to see what the future holds for LeBron James, the iconic forward and surefire Hall of Famer, as questions about his next chapter continue to swirl.

James just completed his 22nd season. It's obvious that he is closer to the end of his career than to the beginning. After the Game 5 loss, James was asked about his future after Wednesday.

As he's done for the past few seasons, he was noncommittal, saying he doesn't have an answer to that yet.

“I don’t have an answer to that. I’ll sit down with my wife, family and support group … have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. We’ll see," said James.

LeBron on what comes next: “I don’t have an answer to that. I’ll sit down with my wife, family and support group … have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. We’ll see.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 1, 2025

Additionally, James, who holds a player option for this upcoming offseason, acknowledged that he has some serious decisions to weigh when asked about the possibility of returning to the Lakers next season.

LeBron James, who has a player option for next season, says, "hell, I got a lot to think about, too" when asked about the Lakers roster for next season.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 1, 2025

If James were to play next season, he would play in his 23rd NBA season. He's shown throughout this season and the playoffs that he still has plenty left in the tank.

While that is undeniable, the real question is whether he wants to put in the work. James is 40 and would enter his 41st season if he were to continue playing the game.

Father Time has shown its flashes against James, but lately, more times than not, the four-time champion always gets back up. Can he, or does he want to continue to endure that?

Only time will tell. He's played 70+ games in back-to-back seasons despite dealing with nagging to serious injuries.

The talent is still there, but is the will there? We should know by the time we see this Lakers team as a collective for September's training camp.

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