LeBron James sparked plenty of speculation over his future with talk of a ‘Second Decision’ following the LA Lakers’ playoff exit.
The Lakers were knocked out in the first round by the Denver Nuggets. It’s led to growing questions about what comes next for LeBron, given his age and contract situation.
James fuelled those questions further by teasing what he called the ‘decision of all decisions.’
The hype built quickly. Many fans expected some kind of announcement about retirement or a move away from the game. Even his own son Bronny had to clarify that he wasn’t aware of any plans for his father to retire.
LeBron James likes to keep people guessing, says Rui Hachimura
LeBron James hasn’t featured for the Los Angeles Lakers this preseason, with the focus clearly on being ready for the opening game against the Golden State Warriors.
After seeing James’ ambiguous social media post, Rui Hachimura got in touch to find out what was going on.
Hachimura said that when he texted James, LeBron just responded using ‘weird emojis.’
LeBron James’ big announcement was no secret to Lakers, says JJ Redick
With the 2025-26 NBA season about to get underway, a retirement announcement from James would have thrown the team into chaos right before the opener.
But Lakers head coach JJ Redick said there was never any real concern inside the locker room because they already knew what was happening. “We all knew it was an ad… nobody was freaking out,” Redick said.
READ MORE: Channing Frye says LeBron James’ retirement would put the NBA in a chokehold
James will be heading into his final year with the Lakers and will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. When he does finally decide to retire, no one knows what that day will look like.
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