A lot of question marks have surrounded LeBron James over the last few weeks. Amid all the trade speculation, the topic of whether this is James’ final season in the NBA has taken a back seat. Cleveland Cavaliers reporter Chris Fedor voiced that if it were, everyone would know it.
In an appearance on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Fedor stated what every Los Angeles Lakers fan should already know. James is not simply riding off into the sunset without some fanfare. That just isn’t his style.
Fedor said, “Based on everything that I know about LeBron and all the conversations I’ve had with people in his orbit, … LeBron is going to make it known that he is going to retire before he retires. … LeBron wants it all. He wants the farewell tour.”
The Cavaliers reporter continued to explain that the ‘glitz and the glam’ that comes with a celebration of arguably the greatest player of all time would be more than desirable for James. Fedor concluded that if 2025-26 is LeBron’s final year, it will be clear soon enough.
LeBron James retirement tour is a necessary part of the farewell
Lakers fans listening to Fedor’s thoughts on the matter have got to be sitting there thinking, ‘Well, yeah, duh.’ James has never shied away from the spotlight. In all fairness, there should be no reason for him to do so. The NBA’s story has largely revolved around LeBron for the majority of his career.
2016 offered the most contrasting approaches of riding into the sunset for all-time greats that one will ever see. The legendary Tim Duncan and the undeniable Kobe Bryant both chose to retire at season’s end.
Bryant got to travel across the NBA and receive his flowers from every team in sight. Duncan dipped out into the blink of the night. It does not take a lot of guess work to figure out which of those two paths is the likelier one for James.
“I think we have to start thinking about this could be his last year in the league” đź’”
– @mcten on Lebron
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 16, 2025
Any Lakers fans, or basketball fans in general, who are anxious about knowing whether this will be James’ last dance have a ticking clock for this offseason. That suspense should last until about the start of the season.
It feels safe to say that if no one hears a confirmation about this being the final year for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer before then, it won’t be. The Lakers can plan for a future without James, and they would be wise to consider that possibility, but so far so good on that front.
The four-time NBA MVP owes it to himself, as much as James does to his fans, to allow some proper closure with a farewell tour. It would be odd to see his retirement come to pass without one.
