LeBron James picking up his $52.6 million player option and not having a Los Angeles Lakers contract beyond the upcoming NBA season is a clear sign that his Los Angeles days, and perhaps his NBA career, are coming to an end next year. That’s what Skip Bayless is saying.
In fact, Bayless claims that the Lakers have been trying to force LeBron to retire after this season. Still, since he isn’t budging, a rift has developed between the star player and team management.
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“To the NBA, it is now upon us. And the cold war continues between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. So last week, if you noticed, Rob Pelinka tried to ease LeBron into retirement, into a retirement announcement,” he said.
Pelinka tried to force Bron to retire
Bayless claims that when Lakers GM Rob Pelinka recently said that he wished LeBron’s story ended as a Laker, he actually meant that he wanted James to retire after the end of this season. That’s why the Lakers management did not offer him a contract extension, and LBJ had to opt in to his player option.
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According to Bayless, Pelinka made that statement a week before the Lakers’ Media Day, hoping that the seven days in between the two events would lead Bron to realize what his
GM was actually trying to say. However, James did not bow to the pressure and instead declared that he doesn’t see the end yet. “King James” even claimed that he was not bothered by the fact that he had no contract after the 2025-26 season. But Bayless says this is not true.
“But he is stung to the heart about this. Trust me. That this bothers him nearly as much as Michael Jordan being proclaimed the runaway GOAT. So this intriguing game continues, this game within the game. LeBron versus Lakers,” Skip added.
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No sign of friction between James and the Lakers
While Bayless talks about a negative vibe between James and the Lakers, LeBron was brimming with positive energy on Media Day. When asked about playing in Year 23 and possibly beyond, he talked about how much he still loves the game and how he still enjoys going through the daily grind.
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“The things that still push me are the fact that the love of the game is still high. The love of the process is even higher,” he declared. “That’s what continues to push me to play this game. I mean, it’s really that simple, you know. Me training and working on my body and trying to get my body as close to 100% as possible every year is something that’s like, it’s a beautiful thing for me.”
James even talked about motivated playing with Luka Doncic and how he wants to be the best player he can be for him. If you listen to Bron’s words and examine his body language, there’s not an ounce of friction you could feel around him. But then who knows, really. Maybe Bayless is right. But maybe he’s just being a LBJ hater to the very end.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.