The Los Angeles Lakers may be one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports, but they’ve never been immune to drama. Once they brought in LeBron James, that drama was bound to multiply.
The Lakers knew what they were getting into from the start, but they also knew this would end at some point. At 41 years old, James’ days are certainly numbered. However, his era with the Lakers may have a set endpoint.
LeBron James and the Lakers Are Heading for a Split, Claims Insider
ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed on “The Pat McAfee Show” that all indications are that James and the Lakers are on the outs.
“The reality is what we’re having right now is this is the end of a relationship, in terms of LeBron James and the Lakers,” Charania said. “Now, whether that comes at the end of this season, if LeBron James decides as a free agent to sign somewhere else or if he decides to retire or he decides to come back for more year and decide that he wants to retire as a Laker. The end is near with this relationship, no matter however you want to slice it.”
“The reality is we’re watching the end of a relationship between LeBron James and the Lakers..
The end is near however you wanna slice it..
Whether he retires at the end of the season or if he signs somewhere else as a free agent” @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Aj5KpSTdzI
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 23, 2026
The first strong hint of this came from ESPN’s Baxter Holmes on January 21, where he detailed the strained relationship between James and Jeanie Buss over the past few years. Many were highly anticipating James’ return, as the Lakers impressively managed without him, winning 10 of their first 14 games, but since then, the season has gone off the rails a tad, as the team currently sports a 26-17 record.
The James era with the Lakers has been rocky to say the least. They did win a title, but his first season with the team was filled with drama, as it became clear they intended to trade most of their young talent for Anthony Davis, which jeopardized the season.
Then the Russell Westbrook trade effectively ruined the era, and, per Holmes’ aforementioned article, it appears Buss felt what happened there was on James’ shoulders, and hasn’t really let go of that whole ordeal.
The question is: if he leaves the Lakers, will it be this offseason, and if so, where does he go? It wouldn’t be like James to announce his retirement abruptly, given the attention his name attracts. His retirement appears on the horizon, with only what jersey he will wear when he does left to be decided.
