It was yet another forgettable season for the Lakers. It seems like their 2020 championship win was a generation ago. And this postseason was one to swipe under the rug- after crashing out to the Timberwolves after 5 games. But LeBron James, being the global superstar he is- has a lot to look forward to in the off-season too. So when he got named as an honorary co-chair for Met Gala 2025, this was the perfect avenue for him to catch a breather. But a knee injury means he won’t be able to go out on his own, naming wife Savannah James as his replacement

To be fair, James’ injury came at the perfect time. Even if LA played against the Warriors in the semis, the King wouldn’t have taken part due to the Grade 2 MCL sprain sustained in Game 5 anyway. But that’s pretty much all the good news. The injury may have failed to affect the Lakers’ season, but it haunts the King in the offseason.

James will not be able to attend the 2025 Met Gala. And this, coming after being named the honorary chair for the event is just disappointing. He tweeted the announcement, saying “Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won’t be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight as so many people have been asking and congratulating me on! Hate to miss an historical event! My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the castle down as she always has done! 🙏🏾🫡🤎✨✨✨”

But his wording left fans to speculate on a few things. While he did leave Savannah James to be alone, the fans worry even more about the start. The “unfortunately” might’ve given them a heart attack and a half, forcing them to think that this might’ve been the retirement call they all dreaded. But is that really happening?

LeBron James’ tweet sends fans into a frenzy

This was not a retirement post, regardless of how people reacted to it. “wtf i thought you were retiring, almost shed a tear,” and “Thought this was a retirement post, I was finna break up with my girl” summed up the reactions best. Make no mistake, that tweet is inevitable.

LeBron James is 40, and retirement is coming soon. However, for now, ESPN’s Shams Charania has confirmed that the King’s reign will live on for another season. His Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee might ring alarm bells. And while that may not be happening, some users continued to speculate. “Retire bro, or at very least unburden the Lakers from what has been” and “stop holding Luka back and retire already dawg” summed one part of the internet.

If you take his stats and compare them to someone in their rookie years, the numbers will still read impressively. But he’s come to this age dominating the scene for two decades. LeBron averaged 24.4/7.8/8.2 while shooting 51.3% from the field, but according to some, he still held Luka Doncic and the Lakers back from their 18th championship ring.

Fans also took the opportunity to remind the Lakers’ star of his team’s recent woes, like the 4-1 loss to the T-Wolves in the first round. “He had to let the world know why he lost 4-1 and keep up with the narrative that he’s injured 😂😂😂” and “What knee injury we all know that’s just and excuse for losing to the wolves in 5 😂” 

The Lakers were clearly the favourites heading into the first round. They even had home-court advantage after finishing #3 in the West. Everyone thought Broncic would run wild on a T-Wolves side that just scraped the #6 seed. But Anthony Edwards and Co. had other ideas. Instead of Shannon Sharpe’s “Lakers in 5,” it ended up being “Lakers out in 5.” Unsurprisingly, LeBron James was at the center of it all. And this was despite scoring 20+ points in the last 4 games- 3 of which were double-doubles.

There’s a much weirder, side angle that the fans have taken. They used this chance to take a dig at James, calling him inferior to Michael Jordan. One fan said, “Michael Jordan would NEVER miss the Met Gala.” But why’s that?

This is a debate that will never end. There’s a hoard of fans just looking to take digs at either of the GOATs, finding whatever ammunition they could. For now, they settled with the fact that MJ would’ve attended it still. But who knows if that’s true or not?

Luckily, this isn’t the retirement message the fans feared. It was just to inform his inability to attend the Met Gala. But the fans are split. While some did fear retirement, others seemingly believe it should’ve actually happened. Even though Savannah is in attandance to replace the King, it hasn’t sat well with the public. They expected more.