LeBron considering retirement? James says he has ‘a lot to think about’ after the Lakers were swept

LeBron James offered a cryptic response when asked about his NBA future following the Lakers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday in Los Angeles.

“We will see what happens in the future. But I don’t know, said James. ‘I don’t know. I have a lot to think about, to be honest. I have a lot to think about,’ James said after scoring 40 points as the Lakers gave up Game 4 to the Nuggets, officially ending their season with a sweep.

“Personally, I’m moving forward with basketball…I have a lot to think about.”

James was not necessarily referring to the possibility of retirement and resisted questions about his immediate future during Monday’s post-match press conference.

He previously declared his intention to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny, who will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.

The 38-year-old was denied by the Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon on final possession in the loss

Either way, the future Hall of Famer now enters the offseason weighing both his future with the Lakers and a potential 21st NBA season.

“It was a really tough season for me, for our ball club…it was a pretty cool run, but I don’t know…I don’t enjoy making a conference appearance. I’ve done it a lot and it’s not fun for me not to be out of the final.

Naturally, James’ comment sparked speculation on social media.

“I’m not ready for LeBron to retire,” wrote one fan.

Others didn’t buy the talk of retirement.

“Everyone knows damn well that LeBron won’t be retiring,” one fan wrote. “I’ll put my house and everything I own on it.”

James and the Los Angeles Lakers were swept away by the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets on Monday night

After finishing the end of Q1 with 31 points, he was only able to add nine in the remaining quarters

James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists after the highest-scoring half of his playoff career, but even the leading scorer in NBA history couldn’t stop the deep and dynamic Nuggets from claiming their sixth consecutive win overall.

James missed two equalizing shots in the closing seconds, with Aaron Gordon getting official credit for blocking his equalizing try at the buzzer.

The Lakers erased a seven-point deficit and tied it with five minutes left, but Jokic hit a 3-point drop from 25 feet. After Davis had two free throws to tie the game with 1:13 to go, Jokic put the Nuggets back in front again.

James then badly missed a weird drop jump with 26 seconds left. Jamal Murray missed a turnover to give the Lakers one last chance, but James’ drive at the buzzer was thwarted by Murray and Gordon, who scored 22 points.

The Ohio native is under contract for next season at $46.7 million and has a player option for the 2024-25 season at $50.4 million.