From The Sports Desk: Farewell LeBron?

NBAFrom The Sports Desk: Farewell LeBron?James and the Lakers exited the NBA playoffs last night, raising questions about the 41-year-old’s future.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00LeBron James congratulates Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after game four of the second round of the NBA playoffs on Monday.Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 3:01 PM EDTBy Rohan Nadkarni and Doha MadaniAfter the Oklahoma City Thunder completed their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers last night, all eyes turned to LeBron James, the Lakers’ 41-year-old star. Had that been James’ final NBA game? His last game in a Laker uniform? We dive in below.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Also, Takefusa Kubo, the Japanese Messi, is today’s World Cup player spotlight. Plus, there’s a new docuseries out that takes you behind the scenes with the U.S. men’s national team.Stay tuned here for more NBA and World Cup coverage, and on the NBC News website.NBA PlayoffsLast night, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-110 to complete a four-game sweep of their second-round series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points, while Ajay Mitchell added 28. The Thunder improved to 8-0 in the playoffs and will now play the winner of the San Antonio-Minnesota series in the conference finals.But today, the attention has shifted to James, who may have just played his final NBA game. In last night’s loss, James scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. But he also missed a late floater that would have given Los Angeles the lead with about 20 seconds remaining. He wouldn’t shoot again on the Lakers’ final two possessions.For the first time in his career, James played this season on an expiring contract, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. After the game, James offered no hints on his future, saying he would disc...