Will LeBron James Retire as a Laker?

He doesn’t owe anything to the game of basketball, but after 22 seasons, 21 All-Star appearances, four MVP awards, and four titles (with three different teams), questions are swirling about when LeBron James elects to retire, and which jersey is he wearing at the time? 

Just because James opted into what would be his eighth season with the Los Angeles Lakers hasn’t stopped the speculation that he may not remain, or that he will eventually leave.

Another elimination in the first round of the NBA playoffs (in five games to the lower-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves) meant the Lakers have sniffed the second round just once since winning the ‘bubble’ title in 2020 (before that, there were six consecutive non-playoff seasons).

James has been remarkably consistent throughout his career, with regular-season averages of 27 points, 7½ rebounds and 7.4 assists. He’s been on the floor nearly 38 minutes per game and made more than half of his shots. That’s a good way to accumulate more than 42,000 points, 

Along with being the all-time scoring leader in the history of the league, James has those four titles (2012 and ‘13 with the Miami Heat, 2016 with the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and 2020 with the Lakers. James’ teams made the NBA Finals eight consecutive seasons (2011-18 inclusive). It’s no surprise he was Finals MVP each season his team won the title.

As of this late-July writing, LA is 16-1 (+1600) to win the next title, as per NBA championship futures odds. Obviously, the needle moves if James does as well.

Here’s a bit of miscellany on the subject of titles in the NBA…

Who Is Favored to Win the NBA Championship in 2025-26?

With July about to turn into August, it’s the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder as 11-4 (+275) choices to win it again. There’s a barbershop quartet (Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks) at 8-1 (+800).

As was mentioned, the Purple and Gold of the Los Angeles Lakers are currently 16-1 (+1600).    

Who Is the Oldest Player Ever to Win an NBA Championship?

He was ‘The Chief’ as one of the cornerstones of the Boston Celtics during their Larry Bird/Kevin McHale-led heydays of the 1980s into the early 90s. Robert Parish manned the pivot with distinction over a 21-year, Hall of Fame career, playing a remarkable 1,611 games. 

That’s an all-time league record. Parish was a three-time champ (1981, 1984, 1986) with the Celts, but NBA news also remembers him winning a fourth title with Michael Jordan and the 1997 Chicago Bulls. Though not the force he was with the Celtics, Parish nevertheless contributed to the cause, earning his fourth NBA title in his swan-song season at the age of 43, 

Does BetUS Offer Constant Updates on NBA Game Betting Lines?

Indeed. There is wagering on individual games, as well as additional props involving teams and players. If you’re a ‘long-term’ investor, there are future wagers out there in any number of specific categories, including division, conference, and Finals winners. That last wager is as popular as any involving NBA game odds.

As with other wagers, NBA championship futures odds are fluid, thus subject to change. 

‘Do your homework’ while bookmarking BetUS is never a bad strategy.

Any Final Thoughts?

Anyone who pays even marginal attention to pro basketball and Los Angeles Laker games is acutely aware of the legacy of LeBron James. He will eventually get to Springfield and the Naismith Hall of Fame, but not before the NBA rumors of when and where he wraps his career. 

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