After remaining largely quiet throughout the offseason, 40-year-old superstar LeBron James finally spoke out amid the Los Angeles Lakers’ pivot to a younger franchise centerpiece, 26-year-old Luka Dončić.
James emphasized that Dončić will not influence his decision to continue playing beyond this season.
“As far as how long I go in my career? Nah. Zero,” James told reporters during Monday’s media day. “The motivation to be able to play alongside [Dončić] every night, that’s super motivating. That’s what I’m gonna train my body for. Every night that I go out there and try to be the best player I can for him, and we’re gonna bounce that off one another.
“But as far as me weighing in on him and some other teammates on how far I go in my career. Nah, it would be, literally my decision, along with my wife and two of my boys are already gone… It’ll be a decision between me, my wife, and my daughter. There won’t even be a meeting with my teammates.”
Dončić Emerges as Lakers’ New Centerpiece
The Lakers’ pivot to Dončić as the franchise cornerstone became clear throughout the offseason. A private meeting involving Dončić, his business manager Lara Beth Seager, Lakers president Rob Pelinka, and coach JJ Redick—without James—went viral following the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit.
Dončić also played a key role in recruiting major offseason acquisitions, including former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. The Lakers cemented the move by signing Dončić to a three-year, $165 million extension. The team celebrated by taking Dončić and select team members to see the Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas, again without James in attendance.
James Faces New Contract and Role Dynamics
This season, James will play on an expiring $52.6 million contract. For the first time in his Lakers tenure, he is not the franchise centerpiece and has no player option. He will become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James largely stayed out of the front office’s offseason activities, unlike previous years when he had been deeply involved.
“LeBron James’ focus is really just on this season, and his future beyond that is really dependent on how this team is doing, and where this team stacks up,” Charania said on Friday’s NBA Today. “And the one request he has made … is that he wants the action for this team to become a title contender and compete for a championship. Outside of that, LeBron James, my understanding is, he hasn’t been involved at all in Lakers operations. He’s gonna report for media day, training camp, and we’ll see how this team looks, but there haven’t been the inquiries for LeBron James on what’s going on here, what’s going on there.”
LeBron’s Future Hangs in the Balance
But while James stayed distant this offseason, he expressed excitement about the Lakers’ response to his agent’s offseason ultimatum.
“I’m excited about getting to work,” James said, “and I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Despite the organizational shift and the emergence of Dončić as the centerpiece, James made it clear that his career decisions will remain personal. His future is hanging in the balance—and Luka carries zero weight in it.
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