"I've Got A Lot To Think About": Lebron James On Retirement After Season-Ending Loss To Nuggets

After ending the 20th season of his NBA career, his one answer to a journalist's question has left all the fans wondering: Is LeBron James considering retirement?

In the NBA's Western Conference finals, the Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers.

James himself fuelled speculation about his future in a cryptic post-game press conference, saying that he planned to take time to reflect on the next stage of his career after the Lakers' exit.

The 38-year-old James, who scored 40 points for LA in its Game 4 loss, ended the press conference on a cryptic note.

"We'll see. We'll see what happens going forward. I don't know. I don't know. I've got a lot to think about, to be honest. I've got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about."

LeBron's extended answer on how the season went and what's next pic.twitter.com/9F3rPI3NLI

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Asked for his reflections on the past season, where he became the league's all-time leading points scorer before leading a rejuvenated Lakers team to the brink of the NBA Finals, James said the campaign had been "challenging."

"I don't know. I think it was okay. I don't like to say it's a successful year because I don't play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career," said James.

"I don't get a kick out of making a conference (finals) appearance. I've done it a lot. And it's not fun for me to not be able to be a part of getting to the finals.

"But we'll see. We'll see. We'll see what happens going forward. I don't know. I've got a lot to think about, to be honest. I've got a lot to think about to be honest. 

"Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about."

James signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers last August that would keep him at the club through the 2024-2025 season.

He has long said that he wants to continue playing in order to play with or against his son Bronny James, who will play college basketball next season at the University of Southern California and could conceivably enter the NBA in time for the 2024-2025 campaign.

(With inputs from agencies)