This is the third straight offseason during which people have wondered if LeBron James is going to retire from the NBA. Most expect him to be back with the Los Angeles Lakers next season, but one can never really be sure what he has planned, and he often tends to keep his cards close to his chest, so to speak.
On Saturday, he made a cryptic post on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account. The post features a video in which he is asked by a reporter if rumors of his retirement are true before it abruptly cuts out. Above the video is a caption that reads, “I’ve been asking myself the same question…”
The superstar does have a history of making people wonder for a period of time what could come next for him. Two years ago, right after the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals, he implied that he was considering retirement by saying he had a lot to think about moving forward when it came to basketball.
Many figured it was perhaps a ploy to draw some attention and sympathy toward himself, and sure enough, he returned for two more seasons — at least.
James has a $52.6 million player option for next season that he can either play on or decline. Insider Anthony Irwin reported that even though James will most likely opt into that option, there is a real chance he will opt out and sign a new two-way deal.