LeBron James’ NBA decision delay triggers Jim Rome tirade

Michael MoraitisSat, Jul 18, 2026·3 min read

It has been nearly three weeks since LeBron James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would not be returning to the team for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Since then, there have been no shortage of rumors linking James to different teams, and we have also seen players making pitches to the future Hall of Famer to join their teams, but James is still apparently undecided with just a few weeks remaining in the month of July.

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That doesn’t sit well with Jim Rome, who ripped into James for not having already made a decision about his where he’s going to play this coming season.

Rome chalks it up to nothing more than James looking for attention.

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“The indecision might just be the corniest, lamest thing he’s done since the original decision itself,” Rome said of James.

“All he wants is run and attention,” Rome added on James. “It’s his oxygen. It’s his life force. It’s the only thing he likes as much as he likes himself… (James) wants to drag it out as long as possible to bask in all the attention and make sure that everybody is going to wait on him.”

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As frustrated as Rome is about James seeking attention, he’s helping the NBA superstar accomplish that goal.

How long does LeBron James usually take?

Of course, LeBron James is no stranger to making the NBA world wait on his free-agent decision, but he has never taken this long.

The infamous “The Decision” television special in 2010 in which he chose the Miami Heat aired just one week after the start of free agency on July 8.

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In 2014, he waited 10 days after the start of free agency to announce he was going to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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More recently, James wasted no time making his free-agent decision, as he revealed he was going to sign with the Lakers the day after free agency began in 2018.

Why is LeBron taking so long?

Nobody can say with 100% certainty why it’s taking so long for LeBron to make a decision, but there are a few logical explanations to consider.

Attention could definitely be one reason.

LeBron has certainly never shied away from grabbing attention when he can during his career and this might be his last opportunity to do so in free agency because there’s a very real chance the 41-year-old will retire after the upcoming campaign.

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We also have to consider the possibility that perhaps LeBron wants to see how things shake out with other free agents he may or may not want to play with on teams he’s interested in.

Unfortunately, no matter the reason for James not making a decision sooner, he’s a big domino and is likely holding up the process for other free agents.

Take Russell Westbrook, for example. The Heat are rumored to be interested in signing the veteran guard, but only if they don’t sign James.

For those out there who are sick of playing this waiting game with LeBron, the good news is this might be the last offseason you’ll have to do it.