Don t want to play anymore? After the Lakers were out of the surprise, James completely showed up in the league and admitted a fact

103-96, the final whistle at Staples Arena cut through the night sky in Los Angeles like a sharp blade. The Lakers lost 1-4 in the season's championship series and were out in an upset defeat to the Timberwolves. Gobert, who was teased by the outside world before the game, participated in the "military training" with a dominant performance of 27 points and 24 rebounds, exposing the Lakers' fragility in the inside. After losing Davis, the Lakers have never been able to fill the loophole in the penalty area, and have averaged only 42.4 rebounds per game this season, which has turned into a fatal wound under Gobert's crushing. Even though James, Doncic and Hachimura scored 73 points together, they seemed pale and powerless in front of the defensive iron curtain where the Timberwolves were soldiers. After the game, Lakers star James completely showed up in the league in an interview with the media and admitted a fact that his words made the management feel ashamed. James said it was a disappointing season because he only had the championship from beginning to end, and he faced considerable challenges every time the team had a major deal, and he lacked running-in with Doncic.

In addition, the first round of the game for two consecutive years also made James talk about the future again. When asked how to view the reinforcement work next season, James admitted that he didn't know because he would still have things to deal with. He needed to sit down and chat with his team, family and himself, when he would end his career. In other words, it is very likely that James will choose not to play in the offseason, and he needs to rethink the position of basketball in his life.

It is worth mentioning that this is the second time that James has put the issue of retirement on the table after being swept by the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. But looking back at his career, such remarks are mostly interpreted as "tragic game" put pressure on management. After winning the championship in 2020, he forced the Lakers to renew Davis by "considering the future". When he was eliminated in the Western Conference Final in 2023, the news of "retirement" led to Russell and Hachimura's stay.

And this time, in the face of Doncic's silence and James made an ambiguous statement, the Lakers quickly responded. The first time the team was eliminated in an upset, General Manager Pelinka completely showed up to James, saying that James, Doncic and Reeves are an indispensable iron triangle for the team. They will continue to form a lineup around them in the future, and at the same time, they will do their best to meet James' requirements. The primary goal is to introduce a star center in the offseason.

In fact, as Pelinka said, there are signs of collapse in the Lakers' inside line. Since the departure of the team, Hayes and a group of inside players have always been embarrassed. They may still have the power to fight in the regular season, but in the playoffs, facing an All-Star inside player like Gobert and Randle, Redick has to stubbornly carry the five small to the end. However, as early as after trading Doncic in February this year, the Lakers launched a center reinforcement plan to lock in five major goals including Adams and Pearl, but they were in a deadlock due to limited chips.

Ironically, the Lakers are not lacking in opportunities. They have reached an agreement with the Hornets to trade Ma Wei with rookie Cornector, but eventually gave up because they are worried about their injury history. Otherwise, with Ma Wei's strength, it is definitely a foregone conclusion that the Lakers eliminated the Timberwolves in the first round. However, this contradictory strategy that requires both fighting power and unwilling to overdraw the future will eventually lead to the bitter fruit of losing the penalty area.