LeBron James gave no indication of where he plans to sign during a live taping of his “Mind the Game” podcast Thursday at Fanatics Fest. James took audience suggestions naming the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers but did not otherwise identify potential destinations.
James emphasized that he expects to remain productive wherever he lands for his 24th NBA season.
“Looking forward to what’s next as I wind down the final stages of my journey,” said James. “Wherever I land in the fall, hopefully, you know, if you’re a ride-or-die LeBron fan, you’ve been down with me since Day 1. Hopefully, you ride with me here. If you’re a ride-or-die LeBron hater, that’s what you do anyway, so looking forward to seeing you as well. But it’s going to be pretty fun. It’s going to be pretty fun wherever I land. I’m going to do what I do best.”
James announced last month that he would not return to the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons with the franchise. James is weighing offers from the 76ers, Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
James thanked the Lakers and team governor Jeanie Buss for his tenure in Los Angeles, calling it an unbelievable ride. He also addressed recent criticism questioning his impact at 41, ahead of turning 42 in December.
“I’m seeing something on social media the other day that, wherever I go, we may be in the Play-In or some stuff like that and I’m not a factor anymore,” said James. “So maybe that as well, too, is a little motivation.”
Asked which team he enjoyed playing for most during his career, James paused before naming several, including his championship-winning Heat and Cavaliers teams, the 2020 Lakers and the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
Tyrese Haliburton, who co-hosted the podcast taping, attempted to get James to reveal more details on stage but was reminded by James that the two had agreed beforehand he would not be making any announcements. Haliburton previously tried to recruit James to Indiana last month and received only a pair of crying-laughing emojis in response.
Teams have received very little information from James or Rich Paul throughout the process and there is no anticipated date of when he will make his decision.