LeBron James leaves fans mystified with quote after being swept

Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James left fans and the media mystified after his Los Angeles Lakers lost 113-111 to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night to get swept out of the Western Conference Finals.

James scored 40 points in 48 minutes during a stellar performance in the defeat. He was unable to convert on the Lakers’ final two possessions as he was running low on energy and made some bad decisions with the ball.

Considering the Lakers were 2-10 to start the season and 13th in the West as late as February 25, reaching the conference finals was a nice accomplishment. They lost to a team that was simply better than them all the way around.

What was interesting was hearing what James said to end his postgame press conference. He didn’t talk much about next season, and left somewhat of a cliffhanger for fans.

“I got a lot to think about, to be honest, and just for me personally going forward the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about,” James said.

Interesting vibe from LBJ during that press conference. Declined to delve deep into questions about next season and then ends interview with: "I got a lot to think about, to be honest, and just for me personally going forward the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about."

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 23, 2023

Does that mean James is considering retirement? Will he consider requesting a trade?

James has recently reiterated his goal is to be able to play with his son, Bronny, in the NBA. So long as he maintains that goal, retirement wouldn’t be in the cards. Will he consider switching teams? That seems tough to believe, but possible.

We’ll probably find out before long what James is considering.