We're less than two weeks away from Los Angeles Lakers media day, and it already feels like a certainty that we're going to get some kind of LeBron James drama this season.
As of this writing, LeBron's future with this organization remains uncertain. And not only that, but his future in this league as a professional basketball player is far from clear. Number 23 is getting closer to hanging it up, but how close remains the million dollar question.
James is currently under contract for this coming season but has nothing in place keeping him on the Lakers beyond that. He's set to earn $52.6 million in 2025-26 under his player option.
There's certainly the world in which LeBron opts to walk away from basketball next summer. He's played over 20 seasons, accomplished just about everything you can accomplish, and I don't think anyone would blame him for deciding he had enough.
With that being said, I think it's objectively true that James enjoys the spotlight. Is there a very good chance that he quietly announces his retirement next summer, without any kind of farewell tour in this upcoming season? I would seriously doubt it.
There will almost certainly be some fireworks concerning LeBron
Frankly, I'm not sure the league or Adam Silver would allow him to retire in that way if they have anything to say about it. They understand that there's far too much revenue to be gained by pushing a season-long retirement campaign for one of the most famous athletes on the planet.
Then of course, there's the world where LeBron doesn't see this coming season as his final one. Does he feel comfortable finishing out his career playing Robin to Luka Doncic's Batman? Maybe he does. But if not, there's every reason to think he could consider a return home to Cleveland, or somewhere else where there's a contending team.
The point here being, there's nothing really set in stone. And what that should indicate is the possibility of something wild or unexpected taking place in the coming season regarding James.
Perhaps the Lakers push hard to bring him back for another season, or perhaps they're content with cutting him loose. While those conversations are being had behind closed doors, we could certainly see some tongue-in-cheek or cryptic comments being made in press conferences.
It's something for Lakers fans to look out for in the coming months. Whether LeBron James finishes his illustrious career in Southern California or not, don't expect him to go out without a bang.