LeBron James says he is unsure if he will continue his NBA career next season after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the first round of the play-offs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 40-year-old, in his 22nd season as a professional, was unable to prevent the Timberwolves completing a 4-1 series victory with a 103-96 win in game five at the Crypto.com Arena.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, had been hoping to win a fifth championship this season.
James, who signed a two-year deal with the Lakers in 2024, says he will take time in the off-season to consider his future.
Asked how many more years he will continue to play, James said: “I don’t know.
“It’s something that I will sit down with my family, my wife, and my support group and kind of just talk through and see what happens, and just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.”
After a 74-game campaign, James said the opportunity to play alongside Bronny – becoming the first father-son duo in NBA history – was the highlight of his season.
“Number one, for sure,” said James.
“That’s not even close. To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be alongside my son, this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I’ve ever been on.”
Rudy Gobert registered 27 points and 24 rebounds for the Timberwolves.
“It feels great,” he said. “We had a season with ups and downs so to come here and play the way we did means a lot.
“We just have a bunch of guys that want to win, and a lot of guys who have been through adversity throughout their career and their life, and we love each other.
“All the things we went through throughout the season prepared us for this moment.”
The Timberwolves will face the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semi-finals.
The Rockets kept their play-off hopes alive with a 131-116 win against the Warriors in game five, cutting their series deficit to 3-2.
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points for the Rockets, while Amen Thompson added 25 and Dillon Brooks 24 at Toyota Center.
The Rockets led by 31 points at one stage, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr substituted many of his starters in the third quarter in order to keep them fresh for game six.
“We can’t come out with that lack of defensive focus and energy and expect to beat a great team on their home floor,” said Kerr.
“They took it to us – they were awesome tonight.”
Game six takes place at 02:00 BST on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
