JUST IN: Upon asking an NBA player about his commitment…
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers declined to commit to his team for the duration of the current NBA season on Saturday.
During the 2024–25 NBA season, the four-time NBA champion will have the option to remain with the Lakers for an additional year or to become an unrestricted free agency.
James’ hourglass emoji on social media after his team’s rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, just ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline on February 8, raised questions about his playing future.
Before his team’s game against the New York Knicks on Saturday, the 39-year-old was asked in his first interview following the social media post if he had given any thought to the contract choice he will have to make during the offseason.
“No,” responded James, whose Lakers, with a 25-25 record, are ninth in the Western Conference’s 15 teams.
Due to a sore ankle, the NBA’s all-time top scorer missed the Lakers’ 114-105 victory over the Boston Celtics, who are currently leading the Eastern Conference, on Thursday.
James did stress the need of his team becoming more reliable in the final stretch if they want to stay up in a close Western Conference playoff battle with little over two months remaining in the regular season.
“If we can play some good basketball, string a couple wins together, and not be so Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on any given night, then we’ll be OK,” James stated. A REUTERS
