LeBron James limped out of Crypto.com Arena Wednesday night, his 22nd NBA season ending not with the championship he desperately sought, but with career-ending doubts swirling around the league’s all-time leading scorer.
The Los Angeles Lakers fell 103-96 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, marking their second consecutive first-round exit despite midseason blockbuster trade that added Luka Dončić to the roster.
For James, who scored 22 points while fighting through a visibly swollen ankle, the loss brought familiar frustration but unprecedented uncertainty about his future. “Every season that I didn’t win the Finals is a disappointment,” said James after the loss. “It’s the same offseason … disappointment and [not being fulfilled]. Nothing changes for me.”
The 40-year-old superstar declined to commit to returning for a 23rd season. LeBron James was notably “not ready to make decision about his future” following the 103-96 loss to the Timberwolves. When pressed about whether he would walk away with $52.6 million still on his player option for next season, James responded: “I got a lot to think about myself.”
The physical toll was evident throughout the game as James showed the effects of battling younger players. James limped to the Lakers’ bench during the fourth quarter after going down hard on his balky ankle, but returned a few possessions later.
In a season that began with unprecedented expectations after acquiring Dončić in what many called “the biggest splash of perhaps the decade,” the Lakers now face an uncertain offseason. The lack of interior defense proved fatal against Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, who dominated with 27 points and 24 rebounds in the clinching game.
James’ post-game comments suggested a growing weariness with the NBA grind. At 40, after seeing his team eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year, questions about whether James wants to continue “to go through the grind of an 82-game season, plus playoffs” have intensified.
This marks just the third first-round exit of James’ playoff career but comes after his most physically taxing season yet. With younger stars like Anthony Edwards emerging and dominating in crunch time, the torch-passing moment seemed tangible in the series’ decisive contests.
While James maintains all the leverage regarding his future, both the Lakers organization and NBA fans worldwide wait anxiously to learn whether they’ve witnessed the final chapter of one of basketball’s greatest careers.
