LeBron on Lakers Exit: ‘One of the Greatest Athletes in History’ Eyes Next Chapter

LeBron reflects on his Lakers journey

LeBron James thanked the Lakers after 8 seasons in LA, including the 2020 title. The 4-time MVP and all-time scoring leader enters free agency as the NBA’s biggest storyline.

‘Hope I made a few proud’ says LeBron reflects on 8-year Lakers journey as free agency looms...

LeBron James thanked the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday for letting him wear the iconic purple and gold. The team had earlier posted a message to “one of the greatest athletes in history” as he heads into free agency.

The 4-time NBA champion and league’s all-time leading scorer spent the last eight seasons in LA. He delivered a title for the Lakers in the 2020 bubble, after stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers twice and four years with the Miami Heat.

“No, THANK YOU!” James said on social ‌media in response to a Lakers post that wished him all the best.

“Truly ‌an honor to wear the (Lakers colours) while trying to continue the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint.”

Where James ends up next is now the headline storyline as NBA free agency opens later on Tuesday. 

The 41-year-old is still playing at an elite level. Last March he broke Robert Parish’s record for most career regular-season games, and in February he picked up a league-record 22nd straight All-Star nod.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said in a post that James responded to.

“We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers, including the title he led us to in ⁠2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances, and the countless records he broke in purple and gold.

“We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

A sign of his longevity, James and his son Bronny made history in October 2024 as the first father-son pair to share the floor in a regular-season NBA game. It was a moment James had said was one of his last basketball ambitions. 

James, a 4-time NBA Finals MVP, signed with the Lakers in 2018.

Thank you, LeBron 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/SW910ZVqSu

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 30, 2026

The Akron native was taken No. 1 overall by his hometown Cavaliers in the 2003 Draft. He spent seven seasons in Cleveland before announcing on the live TV special “The Decision” that he was heading to Miami.

The announcement hurt James’ public image, and that same night fans burned his replica No. 23 jerseys in the streets of Cleveland. 

In Miami, James linked up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form an instant superteam. They won two NBA championships together during their four seasons in South Beach.

LeBron James, 41, announced he’s leaving the Lakers one day after his son Bronny’s $2.3M contract became fully guaranteed.

After an eight-year tenure with the Lakers, it remains to be seen what he’ll do next. A return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team, which he led… pic.twitter.com/4QMGSleBKV

— Variety (@Variety) June 30, 2026

James then headed back to Cleveland and in 2016 led the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 Finals deficit to shock the Golden State Warriors. He delivered on his pledge to bring the franchise its first NBA title. 

Two years later he left his hometown team again. He’s still Cleveland’s all-time leader in almost every major stat category. He joined the Lakers and, for the first time, played in the NBA’s Western Conference.