LeBron James' Lakers are eliminated by Denver in the NBA playoffs

(AFP/VOZ MEDIA) With a winning basket by Jamal Murray, LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers fell 108-106 this Monday against the Denver Nuggets and were eliminated 4-1 on aggregate in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

At 39 years old, James had 30 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists in his fight to avoid a second consecutive elimination at the hands of Denver.

The Nuggets of Murray (32 points) and Nikola Jokic (25) will continue their defense of the championship ring by facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.

LeBron James remains uncertain about his future with the Lakers

With his elimination in the first round of the playoffs sealed, LeBron James declined this Monday to confirm whether he will continue as leader of the Los Angeles Lakers in the next NBA season.

At 39 years old, the basketball league's all-time leading scorer has the possibility of extending his contract with the Lakers for one more season but also of becoming a free agent and signing for another franchise.

After Monday's fourth and final loss in the series against the Nuggets, James took a few seconds to answer the question of whether it could have been his last game in the purple and gold uniform.

"I'm not going to answer that," the forward said with a smile before ending the press conference at Denver's Ball Arena.

James has been the figure of the Lakers since 2018, a franchise with which he won the fourth ring of his career in 2020.

After his elimination last year, also against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, James hinted that he was considering retirement but weeks later he confirmed his return for his 21st season in the NBA. James said his immediate focus will be on his family, and then his sights will shift to training camp for the USA Basketball 'Dream Team' ahead of the Olympics in Paris this summer (July 26 - August 11).

The forward also relativized his stated goal of playing in the NBA with his son Bronny, who could appear in the June Draft.

“Obviously I've thought about it in the past, but at the end of the day the kid has to do what he wants to do… he's going to decide what he wants to do and how he wants his career to go," James concluded.