LeBron James Receives New Injury Update Amid Retirement Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:35 PM ET

LeBron James closed out his 22nd NBA season with mixed results in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 4-1 first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Throughout the series, James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game—his all-around production remaining strong even as the Lakers’ supporting cast struggled to contain Minnesota’s twin towers, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.

Late in Game 5, James suffered an injury to his left knee while contesting a drive by Donte DiVincenzo. He immediately grabbed his knee briefly, but shook off the pain to finish the contest with 22 points, seven boards and six assists in the 103-96 defeat. An MRI later confirmed a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament sprain, carrying a return-to-play timeline of three to five weeks.

James carries this injury into an offseason filled with decisions. One of them being whether he wants to return for a 23rd season. During the recent episode of his "Mind The Game" podcast, James admitted he has not spoken to his family yet about his looming retirement decision.

"I haven't had the conversation with the family yet as far as me going forward or whatever the case may be, but we'll see what happens," he admitted.

Amid James' noncommittal approach to his NBA future, Jovan Buha of The Athletic provided an update on the star forward's injury.

“He’ll still be working out and staying in shape while he is resting the knee," Buha revealed on his podcast. "Then once it’s cleared, he will ramp up and get back to being LeBron. I don’t think this is something that is going to linger into training camp, into the preseason, into next season. I think it is something that he will have a full offseason to recover from and be fine going into next year.”

Over his 22 seasons, James has maintained remarkable durability. He has adapted his training and usage to extend his career: since 2018 he has limited back-to-back appearances and emphasized load management, allowing him to remain one of the Lakers’ primary offensive engines even at age 40.

In 2024-25 James appeared in 70 regular-season games, posting averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 51.3 percent shooting. His consistency anchored a Lakers squad that rebounded from a slow start to win 50 games and secure the West’s No. 3 seed.

James holds a $52.6 million player option for 2025-26, with a decision due by June 29. Questions linger over whether he will return for a 23rd season, retire, or even take a pay-cut to chase another title in LA.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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