Paul Pierce Says LeBron James Should Retire From NBA After Lakers' Playoff Elimination

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce explained why he believes that LeBron James should retire after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the 2026 playoffs.

"I think LeBron should retire," Pierce said on Friday's episode of Ticket & The Truth (33:24 mark). "I think he should, man. Just for the simple fact that, at the age that he still receives the criticism that he still does."

"The man is 41 and we still critiquing him like he's 25 and should be winning championships still," he added.

Pierce's point regarding the high standard that James is still held to is understandable, as the Lakers star has received plenty of criticism for the team's struggles at certain points of the regular season and playoffs despite being 41 years old.

Still, the NBA's all-time leading scorer could forgo retirement after he remained an effective offensive option for Los Angeles throughout his 2025-26 campaign.

James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three-point territory during the regular season.