Paul Pierce Wants LeBron James To Retire, But Not For Reason You Expect

Will LeBron James retire from the NBA this offseason? One of his biggest rivals, Paul Pierce, offered his take on this sensitive subject.

After the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, James was asked if he'll commit to a 24th season. The four-time MVP shared his thought process going into the summer.

"I think for me it's about the process. If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena 5½ hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play," James said, via ESPN. "Showing up to practices, 11 o'clock practice, I'm there at 8 o'clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in. So I think for me, I've always been in love with the process … so I think that would be a big factor."

Pierce discussed James' future in the NBA during an appearance on former Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett's podcast.

Believe it or not, Pierce thinks James should retire because he's dealing with unfair expectations at the age of 41.

"Just like for the simple fact that at the age that he still receives the criticism that he still does," Pierce said. "The greats wasn't getting this criticism late. Nobody was criticizing Kobe when he wasn't going to the playoffs in his last year. They was just enjoying his moments. Like the same with Jordan in Washington… For the simple fact the man is 41 and we still critiquing him like he 25 and should be winning championships still."

Is LeBron going to play next season?

James proved he's still capable of playing a role on a contender, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game this postseason.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, there's a chance James will take less money from another team if the Lakers botch negotiations this offseason.

"The Lakers don't want to lose LeBron James, but they don't want to pay him $50 million. The rest of the league isn't going to come bidding at $50 million. … If you want LeBron to take a pay cut, you better bring him a reason to take a pay cut," Windhorst said. "I think LeBron would be open to that. But the concept that he's not as good anymore – you're not getting that from LeBron James. I'll tell you another thing: if you're the Lakers, if you force LeBron to leave, he'll go somewhere else and play for less money."

If James were to leave Los Angeles, ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin believes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks would emerge as his top suitors.

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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM.