LeBron James Luke Hales/Getty Images Though LeBron James has played more seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (11), his Los Angeles Lakers tenure, which came to a close today, has been the lengthiest consecutive residency of the phenom’s phenomenal NBA career.
James, the game’s all-time leading scorer, a four-time champion (with three different franchises), and a 22-time NBA All-Star, informed the Lakers on Tuesday he would be leaving the team but not retiring.
“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,” Lakers president Jeanie Buss said in a statement posted to the team’s official Instagram account. “We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
James is probably not leaving California, however, as his most-likely destination is one last run with his pal Stephon Curry (GOAT) up in Mission Bay. Curry, like James, has four NBA Championships, a 2024 Olympic gold medal (James has three), and one full foot in Hollywood as a producer and occasional actor.
A spokesperson for James did not respond to The Hollywood Reporter‘s request for comment on his NBA future; free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET tonight. (Curry’s Golden State Warriors are also expected to pursue James’ former Lakers teammate Anthony Davis — who wants a Big 3 when you can have a Big 4 or even a Big 5?)
As James leaves L.A. behind, he’s not just leaving the Lakers, he’s also exiting Hollywood — geographically and temporarily, at least. Since joining the team in 2018, James has produced more than 70(!) series and films (and one video game: NBA 2K20). Michael Jordan never did that — just sayin’.
James has also played himself in some of his own movies, in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), something Jordan definitely did (and did better), as well as another ’90s-classic remake, 2023’s House Party. Probably the best movie produced by James’ side hustle was, well, Hustle, the 2022 Netflix movie starring Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah and real NBA veteran hooper Juancho Hernangómez as prospect Bo Cruz. Sure, LeBron dabbled in the entertainment industry as a Cleveland Cavalier (he was terrific as Bill Hader’s best bud in Amy Schumer’s 2015 comedy Trainwreck), but ultimately, his luring to Los Angeles was about far more than a four-year, $153.3 million contract (which followed by a pair of two-year extensions — and a ton of PGA credits).
King James and his business partner Maverick Carter launched SpringHill Entertainment back in 2007, when “The Chosen One” was about midway through his first run as a Cav. But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship). The following year, James and Carter were nominated for a Primetime Emmy award for unstructured reality program Becoming. The rebranded and expanded SpringHill merged with Fulwell 73 in 2024. The SpringHill Company is among the most productive production banners founded by an athlete, rivaling Peyton Manning’s Omaha and Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks.
Space Jam: A New Legacy, LeBron James, 2021. Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection So James will play in the 2026-27 NBA season, his 24th. Should he do one more, James could find himself back in Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics, though he has downplayed that probability in interviews, including one year ago in conversation with THR.
“I mean, if I had to look at it right now through a microscope, I would say that, me being able to support Team USA for the rest of my life — that’s for sure,” James said at the time of L.A. 2028. “But me actually going on and playing, I don’t see it happening.”
It might be time to zoom out a bit.
Though James is likely to land in northern California, part of his heart will remain about 400 miles to the south, and the LeBron James Business will continue chugging along like a freight train — or like a 6’9,” 250-lb. Small Forward/Power Forward/Point Guard/Center/Shooting Guard chasing down the rim.
On his post-NBA-retirement plans, James told THR, “I want to continue to do what we’ve been doing, and I want to continue to keep storytelling at the forefront of everything that we do. I think storytelling is the most incredible thing we can do, not only for ourselves, but for our fanbase and for our families… Storytelling really brings people together.”
And so do superteams.
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