ESPN Hoping To Hire LeBron James As Analyst After Retirement

At this point in his career, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has seen just about everything on the basketball court.

Not only is James still one of the most physically imposing players in the NBA, he’s also arguably the smartest one as he’s got a knack for reading and dissecting coverages and plays.

With his basketball IQ and experiences, it’s no wonder that LeBron has been critical of how the media has covered the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. James has tried to celebrate the matchup between the two teams, but the discourse is often centered on narratives and things not related to the actual games on the floor.

LeBron is brilliant when it comes to the game of basketball, which is why ESPN NBA producer Tim Corrigan is hopeful the sports network can hire him to be an analyst after he retires, he told The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand:

“We’re hopeful. You talk about those two guys [James and Curry], besides their insane physical gifts and talents and all the work they’ve done, their basketball minds, we would all benefit from more exposure to that, right? And I would say somebody like Chris Paul, who did a little bit with us last year, coming in and jumping in the studio and doing all that, just to spend the time, to see how they see the game and feel the game and recognize, there’s so many stories about LeBron knowing the call the other team’s making and telling his guys on the court, ‘Here’s what they’re going to do’ based on who’s coming on the court. We would all benefit from that in live events and things like that. To have the mind of people who think that way and see that way and have studied the game as intently as he has.”

Having James on a live broadcast breaking down plays and what he sees on the floor would make for an amazing viewing experience, especially for fans who really care about the Xs and Os. ESPN would likely need to fork over large sums of money to get someone of James’ caliber to appear in the booth, but he’s more than capable of thriving in such a role.

LeBron James critical of NBA Finals coverage

LeBron James has been enjoying the 2025 NBA Finals, although he was recently critical of the media coverage surrounding the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.

If LeBron were to join ESPN as an analyst then he can make a positive impact on how the game is covered, which would be great for fans as well.