Is the king about to hang up his crown? Apparently, his queen hopes so.
Retirement rumors began circling LeBron James the moment he and the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The once-dominant LeBron and the rest of the L.A. squad had an early exit, with the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminating them in the first round.
It was the second consecutive year that the Lakers had been ousted so soon in the postseason, leading us to wonder if James's time in the NBA was over.
And though James put the retirement rumors to bed by exercising his player option on his current contract, his wife, Savannah, seems ready for him to call it a career.
Wife of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James wants him to retire "next year"
If his wife gets her way, the 2025-26 season may be the last time that James suits up. This information came to light in a recording that recently circulated on social media. James was dining with friends, including Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love, which included a short soundbite from James.
“Savannah wants me to f—king retire in the next year or so,” LeBron is heard saying.
James will turn 41 in December, more than twice the age of the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg (who turns 19 just nine days before James’s birthday).
However, despite being up there in years, James is still putting up numbers. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds last season.
This performance shows that James still has some gas left in his tank, which is likely why he opted to pick up his player option on his contract with the Lakers—that, and the $52.6 million he’ll make while playing his eighth season in Los Angeles.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent and CEO of Klutch Sports, told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership…and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
LeBron is also entering his “Michael Jordan year,” as in his record-setting 23rd season in the NBA. He’s 50 games away from breaking Robert Parish’s record for most career regular-season games. If he plays in 206-27, he’ll break the tie with Vince Carter for most seasons played in NBA history.
Whether that season is spent with the Lakers is up in the air. James has a no-trade clause in his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after this year is up.
There would be something romantic about him signing a one-year deal with the Cavaliers and playing his final season in Cleveland. And the Cavs did make the playoffs last year, going further into the postseason than the Lakers did.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” said LeBron’s agent. “We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him.”