Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James #6 talks with head coach Darwin Hamm during the second quarter during Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on May 10, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP
Los Angeles Lakers coach Rob Pelinka said Tuesday he hopes LeBron James will continue his NBA career, but said the NBA superstar has “earned the right” to retire.
James, 38, stunned the basketball world after telling ESPN late Monday that he was considering calling time on his illustrious 20-season NBA career.
His comments came after the Lakers’ 113-111 loss to the Nuggets, a 40-point performance that sent them into the NBA Finals after a 4-0 loss to the 17-time champions.
The hint of LeBron’s retirement apparently came as a surprise to many, including the Lakers’ front office, given that James signed a two-year contract extension with the team last August.
Lakers general manager Pelinka said Tuesday that he and head coach Darwin Hamm will hold talks with James soon to discuss his future, while stressing that the club will support whatever he chooses.
“The coach and I will talk with LeBron in the next few days,” said Pelinka.
“We all know he speaks for himself and we will look forward to those conversations when the time is right.
“But I will say this. LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who has ever played.
“And when you do that, you earn the right to decide if you’re going to give more.”
Pelinka said James may have reached a “tipping point” in his career.
“Our job in the Lakers organization is to support any player on our team if they reach a turning point in their career,” Pelinka said.
“LeBron is surrounded by incredible people. I’m sure he’ll have conversations with them. We will be in touch with him and his team in the coming days and really support him.
“Obviously, our hope is that his career will continue. But we want to give him time to have that tipping point and support him in everything he does.”
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James #6 reacts to a foul during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on May 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
Ham responded to Pelinka’s comments by praising James for his contributions in a season in which the Lakers started a disastrous 2-10 before overhauling their roster and making a deep run in the playoffs.
“I think I was ready to retire last night too,” Ham joked. “But in all honesty and all seriousness, LeBron has earned what he wants to do.
“I just want to thank him … especially for being a consistent resource for me as a first-time head coach.
“I’ve been around the game a long time and he was the most supportive, knowledgeable, communicative resource I had all year. He was right there front and center for me and my crew. So he has earned the right to decide what he wants to do.”
Pelinka, meanwhile, said the Lakers hoped to retain the core of the roster that ended the season as they build for the future.
“We’re incredibly proud of this group…maintaining that continuity is going to be very important,” Pelinka said.
“We ended up getting knocked out by a team that has a lot of continuity. They have a group of players who have been together for several seasons and it shows in their play. So continuity is a priority for us.”
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