LeBron James is nearing the closing stretch of an unprecedented NBA career, and as his 23rd season unfolds, speculation has shifted from when he will retire to where his final chapter should be written.
While James has never outlined a retirement plan, league observers sense the margin narrowing, especially as the Lakers navigate another uneven season built around a 41-year-old centerpiece.
Not everyone believes that ending belongs in Los Angeles, and a former teammate has now suggested that the story may circle back to where it began rather than conclude in purple and gold.
Speaking on FanDuel’s Run It Back, DeMarcus Cousins questioned whether James‘ Lakers tenure truly reflects his legacy, despite the 2020 title, and argued that the final act feels incomplete.
“His career in LA, obviously, he won the title in 19-20,” Cousins said. “But the rest of the time it just hasn’t really shown.
“When you think about LeBron James, it should never be where he doesn’t make the playoffs, and it’s hard for me to sit there and put the blame on LeBron.
“Do I feel like he finishes his career in LA? I don’t. My gut tells me he finishes in Cleveland and I think it just makes sense …”
“That’s where his story starts, obviously, that’s where he is from. I think that will be the first team to hang his jersey up so it just makes sense.”
Cousins was part of the 2019-20 Lakers roster but never shared the court with James after suffering an ACL injury before the season, though his respect for the four-time champion remains evident.
Since joining the Lakers in 2018, James has delivered a championship banner, but the run has also included missed playoffs and first-round exits, complicating how the era will be remembered – although Cousins stresses that wasn’t LeBron‘s fault.
LeBron misses out on NBA All-Star Game
The sense of transition has extended beyond team results, as James‘ status around the league shows subtle signs of change during the current campaign.
For the first time since his rookie year, James was not named an All-Star starter, with fan, player, and media voting leaving his fate in the hands of coaches or the commissioner.
James missed the opening stretch of the season with sciatica, returning after 14 games and starting slowly, including the end of his historic streak of 10-point scoring performances.
Since then, however, he has looked more familiar, averaging 25.5 points, 6.6 assists, and 6.4 rebounds over an 18-game span that reaffirmed his enduring impact.
Last season marked his 21st consecutive All-Star selection, though he ultimately sat out due to foot and ankle discomfort, after appearing in each of the previous 20 games.
James has since said he is “TBD” for back-to-backs because of age, and while this year’s All-Star Game is in nearby Inglewood, questions about his future continue to grow.
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