There’s never a right time to say goodbye because it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
After eight seasons, one NBA title and countless of memories, the Los Angeles Lakers are saying farewell to LeBron James, who opted to gauge interest in the free agency market.
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ESPN insider Shams Charania reported the Lakers had interest in bringing him back, but James did not reciprocate that sentiment. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told Charania that James informed the Lakers that the organization can move on without him, deciding to play his 24th season elsewhere.
Lakers president and governor Jeannie Buss released a farewell statement in a tribute to James and his tenure in Los Angeles.
“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.
A look back at LeBron James’ tenure in LA
James joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018, where he joined a team comprised of young talent including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso. The team had a top-4 record in the Western conference by Christmas Day, but it was short lived after injuries sustained by James and Ball derailed the remainder of the Lakers season. They missed the playoffs and went back to the drawing board.
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The following season, a blockbuster move was made by bringing in Anthony Davis and sending Ball, Ingram and other pieces to the New Orleans Pelicans.
LA was the best team in the NBA in 2019-2020. The season was memorable for many reasons. It was the year we lost an icon and Laker legend in the passing of Kobe Bryant and when the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe and caused worldwide shutdowns. The NBA resumed in Orlando, Florida for the remainder of the 2020 season, referred to as the “Bubble Season.”
That year, James and Davis brought home a championship, tying the then-NBA record with the franchise’s 17th championship.
More: Sports world reacts as LeBron James won’t play for Lakers in 24th season
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and forward LeBron James jog up the court after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets of Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026.
(Troy Taormina, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and forward LeBron James jog up the court after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets of Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026.
(Troy Taormina, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) gives the ball to guard Bronny James during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets during Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026.
(Troy Taormina, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Bronny James react after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets of Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026.
(Troy Taormina, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) sets a pick on Houston Rockets forward Jae’sean Tate (8) as Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) dribbles the ball during the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026.
(Troy Taormina, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) sets a screen on Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) as Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James takes the ball down court in the first half of Game 2 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 21, 2026.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) with son Bronny James in the first half against the Houston Rockets during Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 18, 2026.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) gets a tap from guard Bronny James during a stoppage in play in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on March 30, 2026.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) interacts with guard Luke Kennard (10) and guard Bronny James (9) before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on March 3, 2026.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) guard Bronny James (9) and forward Rui Hachimura (28) watch game action during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 10, 2026.
(Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) greets guard Bronny James (9) as Bronny enters the game for LeBron during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 13, 2026
(Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (left) and son Bronny James watch from the bench in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 24, 2025.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James talks with son, guard Bronny James, during a break in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Oct. 5, 2025.
(David Gonzales, Imagn Images)
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LeBron and Bronny James making NBA history together during 2026 season
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James and forward LeBron James, wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers cap, watch the action against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at Chase Center on Oct. 5, 2025.
(David Gonzales, Imagn Images)
The following season, LA looked like they would repeat as champions but injuries to James and Davis shot those chances down. The Lakers were bounced in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, losing to the eventual Western conference champions Phoenix Suns.
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Another franchise altering move was made when the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook. It seemed perfect on paper, but it didn’t pan out on the court. They missed the playoffs in 2022.
LA went back to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, but lost to eventual champions Denver Nuggets after being swept in a series where each game came down to the final moments of the game. In 2024, they faced the defending champions in the first round and lost in five games.
For the 2024-2025 season, LA brought in James’ former podcast co-host JJ Reddick as a coach and drafted his son, Bronny. But the biggest headline of that year was the shocking trade to deal Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. The Lakers were then eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
In James’ final season with the Lakers, he helped them advance to the playoffs as a No. 4-seed, where he led them to a first round series win against the Houston Rockets without Doncic. LA was hobbled going into the second round against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who then swept them.
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James was named an All-Star every season he played in a Lakers’ uniform. In eight seasons in LA, James averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game on 51.3% field goal shooting and 35.6% 3-point shooting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LA Lakers say goodbye to LeBron James after he opts for free agency
