LeBron James has created somewhat of a stir with his comments on Monday night that suggested he’s considering retirement this offseason. He made the comment after his Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets.
Not that many fans or pundits think he will actually retire, but some think it’s a slight possibility. Others think it may be an underhanded, passive-aggressive ploy to get the Lakers to upgrade their roster once again or perhaps make yet another attempt at trading for Kyrie Irving.
But Arash Markazi, a reporter who has covered the Lakers for years, shared what he believes is a timeline for how the rest of James’ career will play out. He thinks the superstar wants a retirement tour, as well as the opportunity to play with his son Bronny James, presumably during the 2024-25 season.
– LeBron isn’t leaving without a retirement tour.
– His goal was to play in the NBA with Bronny, who is playing 1 mile down the street next year and will be one and done.
– L.A will host 2025 NBA All-Star, which will be a LeBron retirement party.
– NBA Vegas ownership in 2026.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 23, 2023
He also said that Los Angeles will likely host the NBA All-Star Game in 2025, which could serve as something as a retirement party for the league’s all-time scoring leader.
For those asking, it’s not official, but Los Angeles is the favorite to host the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, which would be during the final season of LeBron’s current contract. https://t.co/nYJnbtiLHf
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 23, 2023
The elder James has two years remaining on his Lakers contract, and the second year on that deal is a player option.