LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are showing that they have no hard feelings after their confirmed split.
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The NBA's record holder in numerous categories informed the team that he would not return for the 2026-27 NBA season. Instead, he would enter free agency. The Lakers then released a statement of gratitude celebrating James's eight seasons in Southern California and the championship they won together.
"No, THANK YOU!" James responded on X. "Truly a honor to wear the (purple heart emoji)(yellow heart emoji) while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint."
The two sides joined forces ahead of the 2018-19 season. The Ohio native made the move to Southern California after four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he quickly made an impact.
The Lakers won the NBA title in James's second season with the team. He played in 21 playoff games while averaging 27.6 points with 10.8 rebounds. He won NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career.
The Lakers made six playoffs appearances in his eight seasons with the team. They never returned to the NBA Finals. The team's closest brush took place in 2022-23 with a Western Conference Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets.
James still continued to produce for the team as he closed out his 30s and entered his early 40s. He earned All-Star honors every season he played in Los Angeles, and he continued to break records. This includes making the most field goals in NBA history (15,961) and scoring the most points in NBA history (43,440).
The veteran player will continue to add on to these statistics in 2026-27. He will just do so with a new team after going through the free agency process.
"LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history," said Lakers governor Jeanie Buss in a statement on Tuesday.
"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."
