LeBron James made his first public appearance since telling the Los Angeles Lakers he would leave to join another team via free agency but didn’t reveal his decision Thursday at a live taping of his podcast at Fanatics Fest, the annual sports lifestyle festival.
Not that Tyrese Haliburton, guest co-host on the podcast “Mind the Game,” and the audience didn’t try to get it out of him.
“Is there a decision that still has to be made?” Haliburton asked, just minutes into the program in front of a crowd of about 5,000 people gathered in front of the stage at the Javits Center.
James didn’t bite.
“We literally talked about this in the back, Rese,” James said, reiterating that revealing his next team would not be on the agenda.
“OK, my fault, my fault,” Haliburton replied. “I didn’t know if you wanted to … OK, OK, I’ll leave it alone.”
NBA superstar LeBron James, 41, dropped a hint that his much-anticipated free agency decision is on the horizon, while attending a recent CNBC and Boardroom Game Plan Summit, per ESPN.
This comes after news of more than two weeks ago that his agent, Rich Paul, had told the Los Angeles Lakers that James would be moving on. Since then, the future Hall of Famer has been heavily courted by teams and players around the league looking to lock up his talents for the upcoming season.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was among several teams to chase James, reaching out a month ago to pitch a move to Indiana. James however just shut down the pitch with two laughing/crying emojis. Haliburton got the hint and said he has officially thrown in the towel on recruiting James, leaving the superstar’s final destination a mystery.
NBA superstar LeBron James talked about his high-profile free agency in a visit to the Javits Center, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors all chasing his signature. James was the showman, playing to the crowd, grinning and joking as fans called out the names of their teams. He also pushed back at social media critics who say he’s no longer a difference-maker at this stage of his career, saying that kind of skepticism is “a little motivation” as he prepares for his next move.
When an 11-year-old fan asked about his decision-making process, James said free agency is a big decision for him and his family.
He explored these familial relationships with host Rich Kleiman, revealing how he had a conversation with his daughter Zhuri, 12, about him leaving Los Angeles and the reality of him being away from home.
James has made it clear that one of the biggest factors in where he spends the final years of his career is how his family feels about a potential destination, with his oldest son Bronny now his former teammate and his son Bryce at college.
While not revealing his end point, James used the chance to formally say goodbye to the Los Angeles Lakers, thanking Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, and his former teammates for a “unbelievable ride” during his eight seasons there.
James, joined in the front row by former coach JJ Redick, said he was looking forward to the future and hinted he might play a record-setting 24th or even 25th season.
