Everything LeBron James Has Said About His Potential NBA Retirement

LeBron James has been a pillar of the NBA for over two decades, and the idea of retirement is inevitably coming into focus.

The basketball legend was drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He joined the Miami Heat in 2010 before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014, helping the franchise win its first-ever NBA Championship in 2016. James moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.

James — who has been married to Savannah James since 2013 — has a lot to look forward to whenever he decides to officially hang up his jersey. The future Hall of Famer and his wife share sons Bronny, 21, and Bryce, 18, and daughter Zhuri, 11.

In October 2024, LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history when they both suited up for the Lakers.

“For a father, it means everything,” LeBron said after the game. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son. Be able to have moments with your son. And ultimately, to be able to work with your son. I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for.”

Scroll down for LeBron’s most candid quotes about retiring from the NBA:

May 2023

After the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 West Conference Finals, LeBron told reporters during a press conference that he hadn’t “begun to even think about next year” when asked about the possibility of retiring.

“We had a great run, but we fell short of our goal and our goal is to win championships,” he said. “That’s what this franchise is about, so that’s disappointing.”

He continued: “I don’t like to say it was a successful year because I don’t play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career. I don’t get a kick out of making a conference appearance. I’ve done it a lot. It’s not fun [for] me to not be able to get to the finals.”

LeBron hinted that his athletic future was up in the air. “We’ll see what happens going forward, but I don’t know,” he added. “I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”

May 2023

When responding to a fan page’s tribute to his career, LeBron shared a cryptic post stating the world should “appreciate him while he’s still here,” adding that “more greatness” was “on the way.”

He shared the same post via his Instagram Story, adding some lyrics to Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say”: “I supposed to be number one on everybody’s list. We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist.”

The message prompted fans to believe that retirement was — at the very least — on LeBron’s mind.