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LeBron James' future isn't yet decided.
But as the Los Angeles Lakers begin the playoffs this weekend, all eyes will again be on James as the now 41-year old legend approaches his retirement.
Whether that's this offseason or next, it can't be too far away.
The Athletic's Dan Woike and Sam Amick wrote a large feature about James on Friday in which they delve deeper into James' future.
This is what they wrote about the retirement outcome:
"Team and league sources granted anonymity to speak openly say James has made no decisions regarding his future; that retirement remains a real possibility. The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself."
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It sounds like the Lakers would be open to having James back, too.
His contract is up at the end of the season, so he'll go into free agency with multiple options likely on his plate.
With L.A. this season, James has mostly proven wrong the idea that he couldn't defer to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But with that duo out to end the regular season and to start the playoffs, James is also proving that he can still play at the top of his game.
It's something the NBA has never seen before -- James' level at his age. So there really is no precedent for where he goes from here.
There's no doubt he could keep being an effective player if he wants to keep playing. But that'll be up to him, and it likely won't be decided until whenever the Lakers' postseason concludes.
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