LeBron James appeared to officially announce on Wednesday that he will be returning to the Lakers for his 21st NBA season.
James addressed his future after accepting the ESPY award for Best Record-Breaking Performance — commemorating him surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA's all-time scoring list last season.
“I don’t care how many more points I can score or what I can or can’t do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me is, can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t play without giving everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
The 38-year-old superstar sparked speculation about his future shortly after the Lakers' four-game sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. In the immediate aftermath, James cryptically floated the idea of retiring.
“We’ll see what happens going forward," James said at the time. "I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest. I’ve got a lot to think about to be honest.
"Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”
It was a stark change from James’ previous sentiments. James has said on several occasions, including as recently as the past May, that he would like to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny, in the NBA.
“I was serious,” James said. “And I’m still serious about it. Obviously, I’ve got to continue to keep my body and my mind fresh, I think my mind most importantly.”
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka even reportedly said James was "doing the behind-the-scenes work" in preparation for the upcoming season.
James is coming off another successful campaign. In 55 regular-season games, James averaged 28.9 points (the 5th highest total of his career), 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists for a Lakers team that made a resurgent run after the trade deadline that culminated in a Western Conference Finals appearance.
This offseason the Lakers returned the majority of its core from last season and added Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince to supplement a roster that hopes to make an even deeper playoff run in 2023-24.
Regardless, it appears as if the Lakers’ biggest (non)-question this offseason has finally been answered.