‘I’ve never been a 3rd option in my life’: LeBron James reflects on season after getting swept

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals on Monday night, falling 115-110 to close out the series. Lakers forward LeBron James, 41, turned in an impressive performance as he worked to keep Los Angeles’ season alive, scoring 24 points and snagging 12 rebounds.

After the game, James was reflective on the season, noting that despite the brutal finish, it was by no means a disappointing season for him, especially since he adapted to a new role.

“Obviously we fell a little short, obviously, but I mean, I don’t— I’m not looking at, you know, my year as a disappointment,” James told reporters. “That’s for damn sure. Especially, I mean, under— I mean, I was put into some positions I’ve never played in my career before, actually in my life.

“I’ve never been a third option in my life. So to be able to, you know, thrive in that role for that period of time and then have to step back into the role that I’ve been accustomed with over my career, over my life, playing a sport, and be able to thrive under that. And then just my teammates allowing me to, like, lead them under extreme.”

Now, James will decide on what’s next for his career, whether it be retirement, a return to the Lakers, or even a fresh start with another franchise. Ultimately, his decision will come down to whether he still can commit fully.

“I think for me it’s about the process,” James said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena 5½ hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play.

“Showing up to practices, 11 o’clock practice, I’m there at 8 o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in. So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process … so I think that would be a big factor.”