LeBron James said Tuesday that the top priority right now is recovering from his injury as quickly as possible.

Due to a grade 2 sprain of his left knee ligament in the first round of the playoffs, there was a rumor that James might retire soon. In an interview with the Associated Press, he denied this and emphasized that he would use the offseason to recover: "I have a lot of time to deal with my knee injury and the rest of my body to ensure that I can recover as close to 100% as possible in the training camp at the end of September."

James, 40, is one of the most representative legendary players in the NBA. He has led his team to win the championship four times in his career. In the just-concluded 2024/25 season, he played 70 regular season games and 5 playoff games for the Lakers, averaging 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Various signs indicate that James will not choose to retire immediately. He is expected to exercise the player option worth $52.6 million for the 2025/26 season before June 29, starting his 23rd NBA season.

James told the Associated Press that one of the driving forces behind his continued NBA career was the unwavering support of his family. He especially thanked his wife Savannah and three children for their understanding and encouragement: "They would say to me, 'Dad, keep chasing your dream, this is your dream. Keep focusing on it. You've always been with us.' When you have support like that, everything is much easier."

Finally, James said frankly: "At this stage of my life, it is inevitable that I will start to think about retirement. This is human nature. You will think, is it this year? Or next year? These thoughts will always quietly pop up. However, I have not set a specific timetable for retirement. I will make a decision based on my physical condition and the feelings of my family."