LeBron James says he was leaning toward retirement after last season
· Yahoo Sports
For months, everyone knew that LeBron James faced a big decision this summer in free agency. Some felt he would stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, but there was also a very real chance he would leave.
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After the Lakers were informed on June 30 that he would not be staying with them, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves were considered the teams most likely to end up with him. In the end, James chose the 76ers on Friday and agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with them.
This past season, some felt that the 41-year-old could simply end up retiring this summer. While plenty didn't take that possibility very seriously, the future Hall of Famer said in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) that he was leaning toward calling it quits once the 2025-26 campaign ended.
"I thought I was done when the season ended," he wrote. "I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give."
It seems James still has plenty left in the tank for another productive year or two in the NBA. He's coming off a season during which he averaged 20.9 points on 51.5% field-goal shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists a game, and he adjusted quite well to being the Lakers' third scoring option.
He spent eight years with the Lakers and averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists a game during that time, and along with superstar big man Anthony Davis, he led them to their most recent world championship in 2020.
In Philly, James will likely be his new team's fourth scoring option when its roster is healthy. Even when superstar center Joel Embiid is unavailable -- and history has shown that he will probably miss a substantial number of games -- James may only be the Sixers' third scoring option behind Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.
The second year of James' new contract is a player option, meaning this coming season, his 24th in the league, may not be his last.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James says he was leaning toward retirement after last season