Will LeBron James play NBA basketball again?
That’s the question that’s been on every fan, pundit and reporter’s mind since the Los Angeles Lakers bowed out of the 2026 NBA playoffs on Monday (11 May), after being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0 in the Western Conference semi-finals.
It’s the exact same enquiry that was put before Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka on Tuesday (12 May), during the team’s usual exit interviews with reporters.
“We probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game,” Pelinka said of three-time Olympic champion James. “He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization. The thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back.”
Pelinka also confirmed he has no plans to rush James into a decision, as the 41-year-old enters unrestricted free agency ahead of what would be his 24th season in the league.
“The first order of business is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are,” Pelinka explained. “Does he want to play another year in the NBA? That’ll be [decided through] family time, I think time with his inner circle. We just want to honor that for him.”
Having spent eight years playing for the franchise centered in the host city of the Olympic Games LA28 – the longest single stint with any of the three teams he’s called home in 23 seasons, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat – James has yet to indicate his next move, whether that be retirement or another season in the league.
“Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster,” Pelinka admitted. “That’s a blessing in itself just with what he does.”
His comments echoed those made by James himself after the loss on Monday, with the four-time NBA champion telling reporters: “I don’t know what the future holds for me.
“When the time comes, you guys will know what I’ll decide to do.”
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/basketball-lakers-honor-lebron-james-wishes
