Lebron James’ season is over, and his substandard career with the Lakers may soon follow.
James and the Lakers were swept out of the second round of the NBA playoffs Monday night by the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James, 41, i snow headed to his 23rd season in the NBA. After the game, the 4-time NBA champ spoke about the loss and the inevitable questions about his future in the league.
“I think you guys asked me about [retirement], and I’ve answered questions. I don’t think I’ve come out and been like, ‘Oh, retirement is coming,’” James said. “With my future, I don’t know, honestly. It’s, obviously it’s still fresh from, obviously losing [the series]. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
The unceremonious exit has become part of a familiar pattern for James.
While he does have a championship ring from the Covid season, where teams were sequestered for the entire 2020 playoffs at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, aka “the bubble.” That ring has a lot less significance in the eyes of most fans because of the unusual circumstances — neutral courts, no travel, no crowd energy, and a compressed schedule.
That lack of travel especially benefited older players like James.
However, despite his “bubble ring,” his eight seasons with Los Angeles have been anything but remarkable.
In 2019, his first year with the Lakers, he missed the playoffs entirely; in 2020, he won his bubble ring; in 2021, he had a first-round exit. In 2022, he missed the playoffs entirely; in 2023, he was swept out of the Western Conference Finals. James and the Lakers suffered back-to-back first-round exits in 2024 and 2025, and this year, 2026, he was swept out in the second round.
To put that in perspective, Michael Jordan (to whom James will forever be compared) was only swept out of a playoff series once in his entire career. James has been swept out four times.
Compounding matters is the fact that the Lakers have done everything James asked them to do. Most notably, when they used a second-round pick on his son, Bronny, to fulfill James’ dream of playing alongside his son.
It’s unknown what will happen to James from here.
But considering his age and relative lack of championship success compared to other superstars the Lakers have had (Magic 5, Kobe 5, Shaq 3) it’s unlikely the Lakers will be doing him anymore favors, if they bring him back at all.