James suffered the injury when collided with Donte DiVincenzo in the fourth quarter of the closeout Game 5. The recovery time for the injury is 3-5 weeks, but James will have no need to rush back to the court after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs. It’s unclear if he’ll return for a 23rd season, but if he does, he should be recovered from this latest injury prior to training camp.

The 40-year-old James said he had not given much thought to what the future might hold for him, which is unsurprising since he was focused on the task at hand. But it’s a question that will hover over the Lakers franchise throughout the offseason, especially after acquiring Luka Doncic in early February. “I don’t have an answer to that,” James said. “Something I’ll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So we’ll see.” James, who turns 41 on December 30, has a player option worth over $52.6 million for the 2025-26 season, and that may be reason enough to return for another run. Whatever he decides will significantly impact how the Lakers approach improving a roster that received little trust from head coach JJ Redick this postseason beyond starters James, Doncic, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, and veteran reserve Dorian Finney-Smith.

James was awesome in Games 3 and 4, though Los Angeles wasn’t able to get a win in Minnesota. With their backs against the wall in Game 5, LeBron wasn’t able to replicate his two previous performances, and the Lakers’ season ended in the first round for a second straight season. Though there is no indication that James will retire as of now, he’ll be 41 for next season’s playoffs. He should be in for another strong year when he’s on the floor, but if the Lakers want to win a championship next season, they may prioritize rest for James more than ever during the 2025-26 season.

While James only had nine official field goal attempts, he was a frequent visitor to the foul line, boosting the final point tally. Unfortunately, the robust stat line was not enough to deliver the Lakers a win, and they’ll head home for Game 5 on Wednesday in a 3-1 hole. James did make some more personal history, however, moving into ninth on the NBA’s playoff career blocked shot list. The extra day off should be welcomed, as James played the entire second half on Sunday.