LeBron James says he hopes to finish career with Lakers

INDIANAPOLIS — Lakers star LeBron James, who’s playing his 21st NBA season, doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge the obvious, that he’s on the tail end of his playing career.

“I am,” James said during his media availability ahead of Sunday’s All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, his NBA-record 20th All-Star appearance. “I promise you.”

He’s not as sure about how long he has left.

“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left,” James said. “I know it’s not that many.”

And will his storied career end with him as a Laker?

“I am a Laker, and I am happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years, and hopefully it stays that way,” James said. “But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in.

“Hopefully it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization and so many greats. But we’ll see. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming, for sure.”

James’ comments came a few days after it was reported that the Golden State Warriors reached out to see whether they could pry the 20-time All-Star and four-time MVP out of Los Angeles.

Golden State Warriors governor Joe Lacob, with the encouragement of Warriors forward Draymond Green, who is a client of Klutch Sports Group’s Rich Paul – who’s also James’ agent – reached out to the Lakers about acquiring James, according to a Wednesday report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski that cited unnamed sources.

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka both made it clear that the Lakers want to keep the four-time MVP and had no desire to trade him, but Buss told Lacob to reach out to Paul for clarity on James’ desires, the report states.

Paul told Lacob and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. that James didn’t have any interest in a trade according to the report, which added that James wants to remain a Laker and is also focused on returning to the Lakers in the offseason – which James’ Sunday comments back up.

James has a $51.4 million player option with the Lakers for the 2024-25 season.

At 39 years old, when James’ playing career will end is a consistent topic of conversation. But when that time comes, James said he’s unsure how he wants to go about the final year of his career or whether he’ll announce it beforehand or abruptly retire.

“I was asked this question a couple [of] days ago,” James said. “Will you kind of take the farewell tour, or will you kind of just Tim Duncan it? I’m 50-50. There [are] times when I feel like I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be. That seems cool.

“But the other side of I’ve never been that great with accepting praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me. So to go in each city, if that’s the case – I don’t know. I’ve seen [Michael Jordan’s], I’ve seen [Kobe Bryant’s]. I’ve seen a lot of guys. I just don’t know …how I’d feel. I don’t know if I’d feel great about it. I don’t know.”

James, who missed the Lakers’ last game before the All-Star break, a 138-122 road win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, because of left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, said he received treatment over the last few days “to get my ankle as strong and as back to where I feel confident that I can finish off this last third of the season.”

He added that he’ll seek more treatment on Monday and going into the week, with the Lakers’ next game not until Thursday against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.

James also reaffirmed his commitment to Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics, health permitting, of course. James won Olympic gold medals twice (2008, and 2012) and bronze once (2004) with Team USA.

“I told myself before the season when I committed to being a part of the Olympic team, obviously it was all predicated on my health,” He said. “As it stands right now, I am healthy enough to be on the team and perform at a level that I knew I could perform at.

“Obviously, I don’t know what the future holds as far as [the] postseason, whatever the case may be. It’s 11 games, but it is 5 1/2 weeks, and it’s more miles put on these tires. But the one thing I know for sure, I don’t have to carry the load. I’ve never had to carry the load on any one of the three teams I’ve been on. I’m not sure right now what the full team is going to look like, but from some of the names, I know I don’t have to feel any pressure going out there to feel like I have to carry the team.”