ESPN reporter Shams Charania said on Thursday that there is no indication that LeBron James will retire this offseason.

The 40-year-old LeBron James played 40 minutes in yesterday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, contributing 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. At the end of the game, the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Timberwolves 93-103, and were eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for the third consecutive year.

As the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, whether James would retire quickly sparked heated discussions. In response, James admitted that he had not yet made a decision: "I don't know, I don't have an answer now. I need to sit down with my family, wife and team to have a good discussion and see what will happen next. I also need to talk to myself and think about how long I want to play. The answer is not yet certain, so let's wait and see."

On May 1, local time, Shams Charania also gave his opinion on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show". He said: "My personal feeling is that he will play for at least one more season. The 2025/26 season will be the 23rd season of his career, enough to break the league record. His jersey number is 23, which just happens to coincide with it. In addition, next year's All-Star Game will be held in Los Angeles. If he continues to play for the Lakers, he will most likely play in the All-Star Game at home. Therefore, everyone generally expects James to play for another season."

Shams went on to add that James' youngest son Bryce may influence his decision: "Bryce may be eligible for the NBA draft in 2026. If James feels that Bryce has a chance to become an NBA player next year, he may choose to extend his career."

James currently has a player option of about 54 million. What will he choose? Shams said: "I personally think that he will most likely execute the contract." As for whether James will leave Los Angeles, Shams believes: "At his current age and career stage, it is unlikely that he will leave Los Angeles. Although the 'future is full of variables', from all indications, he is likely to choose to retire in Los Angeles. He has publicly stated that he hopes to end his career in Los Angeles."