Following the Lakers’ season-ending 113–111 loss to the Nuggets in Monday night’s Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James strode to the postgame media session to answer questions about their defeat, playoff run and the season as a whole. It was his response to the final question, though, that was the most open to interpretation.
James was asked how he would evaluate the season on a personal level, and his lengthy and wide-ranging response touched on a lot of topics and emotions. He highlighted the turnaround the team was able to orchestrate, describing it as a “pretty cool ride” while ultimately stopping short of calling it a success since the team failed to advance to the NBA Finals. His final remarks, though, struck an ambiguous tone regarding his immediate future.
“We’ll see what happens going forward. But I don’t know,” James said. “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. A lot to think about.”
"Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about."
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 23, 2023
LeBron James on his future
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/pu84XhAud3
James, 38, just completed his 20th year in the NBA and was limited to 55 games in the regular season due to various injuries. He recovered quicker than expected from a foot injury late in the season that appeared to impact his play at times during the playoffs, though he was able to play 48 minutes during Monday night’s game, leading all scorers with 40 points.
James is one of six Lakers under contract for next season, when he’s set to make a team-high $46.7 million. He also has a player option for the following year for $50.4 million.
