Last night’s 30-point loss to the Cavs was a notable one for the Lakers. Not just because they got beaten so handily, though that’s been a worryingly common thread through many of their losses this season, but because the game might have given us one of our first glimpses into LeBron James’ basketball mortality.
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LeBron, like pretty much everyone wearing gold and purple last night, did not have a great game. Actually, that’s an understatement, as this was one of the worst LeBron games we’ve seen. He finished with just 11 points on 3-10 shooting, and his six turnovers were three times as many as anyone else in the game.
LeBron got emotional when the Cavs played a tribute video to him before the game. Maybe that left him in the wrong mindset to give his best effort, but it also led people to wonder if he was affected so much because he knew this could be his last time playing in front of his hometown crowd.
Nobody knows if LeBron plans to retire or not at the end of the season, and if he does come back, it’s unclear if it will be with the Lakers or if he’ll reunite with Cleveland or go to another contender to chase one more ring.
On this morning’s Get Up, Brian Windhorst laid out the possible scenarios. “There’s a realistic scenario,” Windhorst said of the possibility of LeBron taking a third tour of duty with the Cavs.
“LeBron has two big decisions to make when the season is over, whenever that is for the Lakers. One is, is he gonna play another season, and he’s made it very clear, he doesn’t seem to know, and I believe that,” he explained.
“The second thing is, if he’s gonna play another season, how much money is he willing to play for, because the Lakers almost certainly are going to ask him to take a pay cut, potentially a significant one,” Windhorst continued.
The NBA analyst also wondered if LeBron would be comfortable to make a little less money to help build the Lakers, like what Dirk Nowitzki did with the Dallas Mavericks towards the end of his career.
.@WindhorstESPN believes there could be a realistic scenario where LeBron could finish his career with the Cavaliers pic.twitter.com/JMnUhJ4jsq
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 29, 2026
Windy said that there are several ways the Cavs could get LeBron if he wanted it to happen, but he also said that they’d be in the same boat as the Lakers in not being able to pay him his customary salary.
LeBron has made almost $600 million from his NBA salary alone in his 23-year career, plus untold millions more from his various endorsements and business ventures. Perhaps he would be better suited with the Golden State Warriors where he could give fans a dream pairing with Stephen Curry.
Pairing up with Curry would be extremely enticing after what they accomplished in the 2024 Olympics together. Trying to make a title run with the Knicks also can’t be counted out. He could also just as easily decide that he’s done enough in his superlative career and has nothing left to prove.
Windy mentioned LeBron’s family as an important factor to consider here. They currently live in L.A., and of course Bronny is on the Lakers. LeBron’s other son Bryce is a freshman at Arizona, and his 11-year-old daughter Zhuri attends school in California and is an active volleyball player.
LeBron once made huge waves when he decided to leave Cleveland for Miami, and this summer, even though he’s 41 years old, his next decision will draw just as much attention.
