LeBron James’ free agency has clearly put the league under a chokehold. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed he “needs” the 22-time All-Star to make the decision already. Amid this, a former teammate of Bron, Shaquille O’Neal, explained why it makes sense to take time over his next decision.

“It is (fair that he’s taking this much time),” O’Neal said to Sports Illustrated’s Claudette Montana. “The ending of his career, I’m sure he’s gonna pick wisely. I’m sure he wants to go somewhere where he has a really good chance of winning. A lot of people call it ring chasing; it’s not ring chasing, it’s defining your legacy. If you can go somewhere and get one, it would be good. I have four, but in my mind I should have seven, that haunts me all the time.

“More power to LeBron if he can get with a time and try to win one more ring. At this point in time, we talk about LeBron’s legacy; right now, we’re talking about extra credit.”

Ever since the 41-year-old announced his exit from the Lakers, different teams have been “frontrunners”. Players like Stephen Curry and Jaylen Brown have pitched in. Draymond Green and James Harden have opted out of their player options, waiting for LeBron James to sign his deal with their respective teams first. So, yes, the league is waiting for Bron to make his next decision.

Even Adam Silver couldn’t hide his frustration. The commissioner detailed how he is fielding calls from partners across the league and how the schedule release has gone for a toss.

“I guess all politics are local. The way I think about it is, we have to finish up the schedule,” Silver stated to CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin at the 2026 CNBC Sport and Boardroom Game Plan Summit. “We have to finish up the schedule, and where LeBron plays affects the schedule. So I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule.

“Because as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. It will influence how we set the schedule, opening week, Christmas Day, etc.. So I need him to make a decision.”

While teams like the Heat, Cavaliers, and 76ers are seemingly at the top, the Warriors and the Wolves can’t be left out entirely. Even LeBron James admitted that it has taken significant time, but offered a small update.

“I won’t hold you guys up too much longer,” he said at the Fanatics Fest. “It’s not just about the team… there’s so many other factors that I’m factoring in right now on what best fits me as a player, what best fits me as a person and what best fits my happiness, and also my family as well.”

Still, there is no timeline, even when Adam Silver has urged LeBron James to make the decision quickly.