LeBron James has cast doubt on his NBA future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The 41-year-old, who just completed his record 23rd season, is heading into unrestricted free agency and admitted he is unsure what comes next.
Speaking after the 115-110 defeat, James said: 'What my future [holds], I don't know, obviously. I mean, this is obviously still fresh from obviously losing and I don't know. I mean, I don't know what the future holds for me obviously as it stands right now tonight.' He added that he plans to spend time with his family before making a decision.
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds during the regular season, operating as the third scoring option behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Dončić missed the entire playoffs with a hamstring injury, while Reaves sat out several games with oblique strains. In the postseason, James averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds.
Reflecting on his season, James said: 'Obviously we fell a little short, but I'm not looking at my year as a disappointment, that's for damn sure. I was put in some positions I never played in my career before, actually in my life. I've never been a third option in my life.'
Reaves also faces a decision on his future, holding a $14.9m player option which he is expected to decline. He said: 'It's been fun. It's been a joy. It's been a grind. A lot of things didn't go our way this season and there were a lot of opportunities for us to quit, and you know, that's not who we got in the locker room or the organization.'
