LeBron James made his first public appearance since informing the Los Angeles Lakers he would depart to join another team in free agency, appearing Thursday at a live taping of his “Mind the Game” podcast during Fanatics Fest in New York. He declined to announce his next destination before a crowd of about 5,000 people at the Javits Center.

Tyrese Haliburton co-hosted the podcast and attempted to draw out James’s decision. “Is there a decision that still has to be made?” Haliburton asked early in the program. James responded, “We literally talked about this in the back, Rese,” stressing that a team reveal wasn’t planned. Haliburton replied, “OK, my fault, my fault. I didn’t know if you wanted to ... OK, OK, I’ll leave it alone.”

Later that day, at the CNBC and Boardroom Game Plan Summit, James indicated his choice would come soon, saying, “I won’t hold you guys up too much longer.” His agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul had informed the Lakers more than two weeks earlier that the 41-year-old would be moving on.

James has drawn interest from multiple teams and players since that notice, including Haliburton, who said he texted James before the move, inviting him to join the Indiana Pacers. Haliburton, who missed last season with a torn right Achilles after helping lead Indiana to the 2025 NBA Finals, recounted the exchange: “I texted Bron maybe a month ago ... ‘Hey, if you want to come to Indiana, we can make something crack.’” He said James replied with two laughing and crying emoji and nothing more, leading Haliburton to stop pursuing him in free agency.

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Sources told ESPN that several teams remain in active pursuit, naming the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Golden State Warriors among them. James kept the crowd entertained by referencing both media commentary and fan reactions regarding his next destination.

He mentioned seeing a claim online that he was no longer a major factor in the league, referring to comments from Chris Brockman of “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I saw something on social media the other day that wherever I got that we may be in the play-in [tournament] or some s--- like that and I'm not a factor anymore,” James said. “So, I get that, too. ... It's just a little motivation.”

Audience members called out different teams from the stands. When one yelled “Warrrrioorrrrrrsssss!” others followed. James responded, “Where? Where did I hear? I heard Warriors ... I heard Philly ... Miami ... This guy just told me to come to the Yankees.”

An 11-year-old fan named Eli from Queens asked James a question about free agency, prompting the longest answer of the evening. “That was a hell of a question and some of the media people in here probably should learn from you, young fella,” he said. James called free agency “a big decision,” explaining that it was the fourth time in his career he had reached the open market. “It’s a big decision for not only myself, but for my family as well just for the last part of my career and where I want to spend the last few years,” he continued. “Wherever I go, I will make my staple on just, I'm a natural-born leader. I am going to try to fit in with whatever team I go to but also give them all the tools and give them all the knowledge that I've been able to grasp over the last 23 years. I know the game. I know the ins and outs about the game of basketball.”

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Speaking later with Game Plan host Rich Kleiman, James addressed how family fits into his decision. “I have an almost 22-year-old son who is now my former teammate, which is hilarious,” he said of Lakers guard Bronny James. “I have a 19-year-old son [Bryce] that's at the University of Arizona. But it's my almost 12-year-old daughter who is pulled away a lot [from me because of basketball].”

He described a conversation with his daughter Zhuri before free agency. “I pulled her to the side and I was like, ‘Baby, I'm letting you know. I don't want you to hear from nobody else, but I won't be playing for the Lakers next year. I will be playing somewhere else,’” he said. He added, “‘I won't be home all the time ... I just want to know how you felt about it because you mean a lot to me. Me being away from you means a lot.’ So, the family portion is a big thing, too.”

James appeared with a freshly dyed beard and suggested playing a record-setting 24th season, possibly a 25th, with whichever team he joins. He also reflected on his years with the Lakers, offering his first extended remarks on his former team. “Shoutout my former team, I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers,” James said. “One of the most historical franchises in the world. Shoutout Jeanie Buss, the whole Buss family. Rob Pelinka. Everybody. All the coaches that I played for there. All my teammates. S---, I am going to miss them all, obviously. So, that was an unbelievable ride and I'm just looking forward to what holds next as I wind down the final stages of my journey.”

His “Mind the Game” co-host, former coach JJ Redick, watched the event from the first row at Fanatics Fest with his sons, Kai and Knox. James closed by addressing both longtime supporters and critics. “So, wherever I land in the fall, hopefully you're ride-or-die LeBron fans if you've been down with me since day one, I hope you ride with me there,” he said. “If you're a ride-or-die LeBron hater, that's what you do anyway. So, I'm looking forward to seeing you as well.”

To conclude the night, James told the audience, “But it's going to be pretty fun. It's going to be pretty fun. Wherever I land, I'm going to do what I do best.”

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