LeBron James breaks silence on leaving Lakers, ‘Hope I made a few proud’

The cat’s out the bag. LeBron James is not returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for his 24th NBA season. And the King has spoken.

The four-time NBA champion first joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018. Eight summers later, James is hanging up his Laker jersey for a new basketball home in the twilight of his career.

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His agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul informed ESPN that the Lakers can begin their offseason plans without James in mind, deciding to test free agency at age 41.

The sports world reacted. Many were shocked. Some saw it coming. Others didn’t think it would actually happen. Yet, here we are.

James responded on an X (formerly Twitter) post.

“No, THANK YOU! Truly a honor to wear the (purple and gold) while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint,” James wrote back.

Heartfelt messages of gratitude have poured in on social media, thanking James for what he brought to the game, particularly for the Lakers. He received messages from Lakers legend Magic Johnson, now-former teammate Luka Doncic and team president Jeannie Buss.

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Buss’s message spanned across eight lines in a post describing what the four-time MVP has meant to the franchise since arriving in 2018.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers – including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Laker family,” Buss wrote.

James will continue to decipher what his next journey in the league will look like. The NBA free agency period opens June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LeBron James breaks silence on leaving Lakers, ‘Hope I made a few proud’

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Publish date : 2026-06-30 19:35:00

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