Don’t expect any surprises when it comes to LeBron James calling it quits. The King wants to control his exit story down to the last detail.
The future of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James remains uncertain following a season that saw the team trade away veteran center Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for their superstar, Luka Dončić. With the Lakers now building around the Slovenian point guard, questions swirl about whether James will seek opportunities elsewhere or simply retire. NBA insider Chris Fedor believes James will announce his retirement plans well in advance.
Will LeBron James Announce His Retirement Plans In Advance?
The Cleveland.com NBA reporter shared his insights during the latest episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast alongside fellow writer Jimmy Watkins and host Ethan Sands. The discussion began when Sands referenced reports from ClutchPoints reporter Brett Seigel suggesting that conversations had occurred about James potentially making the upcoming season his final campaign.
When Sands asked about the possibility of James ending his career in Los Angeles after opting into his player option this summer, Fedor offered his perspective based on extensive knowledge of the superstar’s approach.
“The one thing that I will say is that he is going, I believe, based on everything that I know about LeBron James and all the conversations that I’ve had with people in his orbit, his general orbit, I believe that LeBron is going to make it known that he is going to retire before he retires,” Fedor replied.
Why Would James Want a Farewell Tour?
Fedor explained that James wouldn’t simply play out his contract and announce retirement during the offseason. Instead, the veteran forward wants the full ceremonial treatment that comes with being one of basketball’s all-time greats.
“It’s not going to be a situation where he plays out the final year, and then in the offseason, he just retires. The sense that I get is LeBron wants it all. He wants the farewell tour. He wants all of these different franchises reliving all of his moments against them,” Fedor continued.
Despite turning 40, James remains in remarkable physical condition. During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds across 70 regular-season games with the Lakers. His durability showed in the team’s first-round playoff loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he logged heavy minutes at 40.8 per game while increasing his scoring average to 25.4 points.
Fedor emphasized that James understands his historical significance and wants his retirement to reflect that status.
“He wants all of the glitz and the glam that comes with one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player of all time, calling it quits eventually. So at this point, he’s not going to retire this offseason because he hasn’t told anybody he’s retiring and he opted into his player option.”
The insider concluded with a prediction about how James might make such an announcement, suggesting the superstar would use his own platform. “If he is, he will let it be known going into this year, being that it’s his final year under contract,” Fedor said, adding his prediction that James would make the announcement on his Mind The Game podcast.
Watkins supported this theory, noting that James has become more open about retirement discussions in recent seasons. “LeBron will deliver that message, or Rich Paul will deliver that message…this is league conjecture. It doesn’t mean it’s erroneous,” he said. Watkins also pointed out that James has discussed retirement more frequently since the Lakers’ last Western Conference Finals appearance against the Denver Nuggets.
