LeBron James enters his 23rd NBA season surrounded by more uncertainty than at any point in his legendary career. The Los Angeles Lakers chose not to offer the 40-year-old star a contract extension this summer, a first in his two decades in the league. This decision signals a clear organizational pivot toward building around the younger Luka Dončić. General Manager Rob Pelinka stated the franchise wants to give James “absolute respect to choose his story,” but stopped short of guaranteeing a long-term future together.

This lack of a new deal has fueled widespread speculation that this season could be James’ final one in Los Angeles, if not his last overall. He acknowledged the inevitable approach of retirement during media day, confessing, “I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’

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