07/16/26 01:39:00
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07/16 13:37 CDT LeBron James says he isn't ready to reveal a decision on his
future, doesn't offer any hints
LeBron James says he isn't ready to reveal a decision on his future, doesn't
offer any hints
By STEPHEN WHYNO and TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writers
NEW YORK (AP) --- If LeBron James knows where he will play this coming season,
he's still not saying.
The NBA's career scoring king and current free agent spoke publicly for the
first time in weeks Thursday afternoon, though stopped short of revealing which
team he'll choose to play for this fall --- despite at least one cry from
someone in a jampacked room shouting for him to "pick a team."
"It's going to be fun wherever I land," James said.
The four-time NBA champion was recording an episode of his "Mind the Game"
podcast alongside guest co-host Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers in New
York on the opening day of Fanatics Fest, a four-day event featuring dozens of
athletes, celebrities and sports legends. Single-day general admission tickets
were sold out, organizers said, and it's likely that many of those patrons ---
there were at least several hundred there, phones out to capture the moment ---
were hoping to hear James' next decision.
Not yet, he said.
An 11-year-old asked James about free agency and developing his next team ---
"first of all, that was a hell of a question and some of the media people here
probably should learn from the young fella," James said --- and the youngster
got perhaps the best answer of the session, with James indicating that the
2026-27 season may not necessarily be his last as a player.
"It's a big decision for not only myself, but for my family as well," James
said. "Just for the last part of my career and where I want to spend the last
few years or the last year or the last two years of my NBA career ... I'm going
to try to fit into whatever team I'm going into, but also give them all the
tools and give them all the knowledge that I've been able to grasp over the
last 23 years. I know the game. I know the ins and outs of the game of
basketball."
Thursday's appearance has been planned for months; it was announced publicly in
May. James playfully chided Haliburton for asking him about his future ---
"didn't we talk about this in the back?" James asked, and Haliburton said he'd
"leave it alone."
Of course, they didn't leave it alone. James made reference to a slew of teams
such as Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia and Golden State, though didn't appear
to give much in the way of hints. He did sip from a bottle of red wine that he
opened and shared with Haliburton, calling it one of his podcast traditions.
And when fans shouted out suggestions for James' next team --- one even asked
him to play for the New York Yankees --- no clues were forthcoming.
"We'll see," he said.
James is the NBA's oldest active player at 41 and the only player in league
history to have a career spanning 23 seasons; this coming season will be his
24th. Speculation has been rampant for more than two months about his future,
officially starting in May when the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the
NBA playoffs.
At that time, James said he didn't know what he would be doing.
And the only developments that he's revealed since came on June 30, when he
said he would play this coming season and that he was leaving the Lakers after
an eight-season run highlighted by the 2020 NBA title.
For more than two weeks, the NBA has been waiting to hear what comes next.
James, as he did in a social media post at the time, lauded his time with the
Lakers, who also offered him well wishes as he moves forward.
"I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers," James said.
James' resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He's a 22-time All-Star, a
21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA
Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA's 75th
anniversary team.
He's also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and
7.2 assists per game. For his career, he's averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds,
and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.
The podcast was the first of two known speaking engagements for James in New
York on Thursday.
He also has an appearance at the Game Plan Summit, an invitation-only event
presented by CNBC and Boardroom. James is slated to have a conversation with
Boardroom co-founder Rich Kleiman --- Kevin Durant's longtime business partner
--- about "how he's built an empire beyond basketball, what's ahead for him in
business, and why the next generation of athletes is poised to wield more
influence than ever before."
James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the
Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons --- where he won his first
two titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, leaving in
2018 to start an eight-season run with the Lakers.
Cleveland and Miami are believed to be on James' radar again as he weighs this
decision, as are several other teams including Philadelphia, Minnesota and
Golden State.
"I'm looking forward to what comes next as I wind down my journey," James said.
___
Reynolds reported from Miami.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
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