LeBron James has made a decision about his future: he will not retire and will continue to play in 2026/27, but not with Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran player (the oldest in active, who will turn 42 in December, during his record 24th active NBA season) plans to play in a different team, according to multiple reports on Tuesday, the first day of the NBA Free Agency, where players enter the open market and teams are free to sign them.
LeBron James spent the last eight seasons with Lakers, arriving as a free agent in 2018, winning the 2020 Championship, being Finals MVP, and averaging 25.9 points, 7.9 assists and 7.7 rebounds over 479 regular-season games. Before the Lakers stint, LeBron James spent seven years in Cleveland, four in Miami and four with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning four NBA championships in total.
The team expressed their gratitude: "LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family", said Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss.
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It is not known where James will play next season, and it's likely he hasn't decided yet, as the free agent period has just began, with Golden State Warriors being reported in NBA.com as an option because Warriors' forward Draymond Green hasn't decided his future yet.