Is LeBron James going to retire? NBA legend casts doubt on future after Lakers playoff defeat - 'See what happens'

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Could we be nearing the end of LeBron James' trophy-laden career in the NBA? The man himself has left his future in doubt after a first-round play-off exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. James has broken a slew of records in his illustrious career, and is only 49 regular-season games behind Robert Parrish's all-time record of 1,611 games. James signed a two-year Lakers deal in 2024.

‘We’ll see’ – LeBron unsure over playing future after LA Lakers’ first round playoff exit

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LeBron James cast doubt on his immediate future in the NBA after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the play-offs.

James is one of the sport's all-time greats and should he continue for a 23rd season, would break the NBA longevity record which he currently ties alongside Vince Carter.

The 40-year-old was speaking to reporters after the Lakers lost 4-1 in the first-round series to the Timberwolves, who claimed a 103-96 final-match victory.

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When quizzed about how long he will continue playing, James replied: "I don't know.

"It's something that I will sit down with my family, my wife, and my support group and kind of just talk through and see what happens, and just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play."

The Lakers have had a poor postseason record since their most recent title in 2020, progressing through the first round just once in the last five years.

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Luka Doncic was signed midway through the season, and James hinted he may want to continue playing to build the chemistry between himself and the Slovenian.

"Anytime you make a big acquisition in the middle of the season, it's always going to be challenging, not only for me, but for [Austin Reaves] and the rest of the group," James explained.

"There were times where we obviously didn't look so well, but I think we kind of figured it out later in the season, the more games we had. I still don't think we had enough time to mesh, but for the time that we had, I thought we ended the regular season very well to be top three in the West."

Following the end of a gruelling 74-game season, James said that playing alongside son Bronny was undoubtedly his biggest highlight. This was the first time in NBA history that a father-son duo had played together.

"Number one, for sure," James explained.

"That's not even close. To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be alongside my son, this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I've ever been on."

'Always about family over everything!' - LeBron on why it's so special to play with Bronny

Video credit: TNT Sports

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