Report: LeBron James feels like the Lakers didn’t appreciate him enough

Jan 6, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking forward to retooling ahead of next season after being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. However, Los Angeles’ roster construction will hinge heavily on whether LeBron James elects to return to the franchise.

Some believe James will retire, but he is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and could hypothetically sign with any franchise in the league should he decide to forgo retirement. After Los Angeles was eliminated, James said that he planned on taking some time to recalibrate with his family before making any decisions on his career, but as things stand, he has no clue what the future holds in store.

“I don’t know [what’s next]. Obviously, it’s still fresh from losing,” James said after Game 4. “I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now, tonight.”

However, some recent reporting has revealed that James feels that at times, the Lakers have failed to appreciate what he has done for the franchise and taken him for granted, such as when he didn’t receive the game ball after breaking the NBA’s all-time wins record.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka handed the ball to head coach JJ Redick, who earned his 100th coaching win in the same game.

“But James, who played the past eight seasons in Los Angeles and helped deliver the franchise its 17th championship in 2020, saw Pelinka’s priority in that moment as yet another example of the Lakers taking him for granted, sources said,”