LeBron James retiring? Future for NBA star unclear after Lakers loss

LOS ANGELES - What's next for LeBron James?

After his Los Angeles Lakers got swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets, "King James" ended his postgame presser on a very cryptic note.

When asked about his future, the 38-year-old NBA megastar told the media he'll take some time to think about what's next for his basketball career.

"We'll see what happens going forward," James said Monday night. "I got a lot to think about, to be honest."

"Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about," James added.

While James never explicitly said he is calling it quits, NBA insider and Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported that retirement is under consideration for the Lakers star.

As the basketball world awaits what's next for James, the 38-year-old ended the 2022-2023 on a historic note. In February, James passed fellow Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA's all-time leading scorer. He was named the league's all-star for the 19th time in his already-storied career and made the cut for All-NBA Third Team.

But what about Bronny James?

For years, LeBron has gone on-record about wanting to play with his oldest son in the NBA. 

"I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny," LeBron James said in an interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin in January.

The younger James had recently committed to play for USC this upcoming season.

LeBron would be 40 years old by the time his oldest son is eligible for the NBA Draft.

Another thing to keep in mind is that James remains under contract with the Lakers for the 2023-2024 season, on top of a player option for the 2024-2025 season.