NBA executive doesn't believe LeBron's retirement talk

The unnamed executive told Bleacher Report that he was certain James would play next season.

"He just changed the conversation," the executive said. "Now we're not talking about a sweep; we're talking about LeBron and retirement. He loves to control the narrative."

There's precedence for James changing the narrative after a playoff sweep. After his Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 Finals, James appeared at his postgame press conference with a cast on his right hand.

James told the media he injured his hand punching a blackboard after Game 1 of the series, and that he was hiding the injury so it wouldn't give the Warriors a competitive advantage. But it's not clear why he had to put on the cast for the press conference, except to control the narrative, and give the media something to talk about besides James getting swept.

There are other theories about why James would discuss his retirement. He could be pushing the Lakers to acquire another star. ESPN's Monica McNutt thought it was an "emotional reflection" after a tough loss. But no one seems to actually believe James is willing to walk away from the sport.

A different executive summed up those feelings.

""Give it a week. Let's see if he's saying the same thing."