The final buzzer sounded at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, and for a brief moment, LeBron James stood at center court, taking in a place that has defined so many chapters of his career.

The Los Angeles Lakers had just lost to the New York Knicks, but the result felt secondary. What lingered was a quieter, heavier thought: if James chooses to retire after this season, that game would have been his last at “The Mecca of Basketball.”

James isn’t making any declarations. In fact, he insists he doesn’t know what comes next. But his words, and the way he’s delivering them lately, suggest an awareness that the finish line is no longer abstract.

“At the end of the day, everything has to come to an end at some point,” James said when asked whether Sunday might have been his final appearance at MSG.

“No matter what it is, it’s going to be like, ‘I’ll never play again in Madison Square Garden. I’ll never play again in certain arenas. I’ll never play again, period.’

“So, at that point it doesn’t matter. You’re going to always miss it. You’re going to miss the game in general. This one will always have a special place in the journey because it is Madison Square Garden.”

LeBron’s future remains unwritten

James‘ reflections have grown more candid as the season has progressed, particularly during the Los Angeles Lakers‘ recent “Grammy” road trip.

After last Wednesday’s loss in Cleveland – his lone stop this season in the city where he grew up and spent 11 of his 23 NBA seasons – retirement became the dominant theme of his postgame availability.

“I’m just trying to take everything in, not take the moments for granted,” James said. “Because it could be [my last season]. I obviously haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be.”

He was even more direct when pressed further: “I don’t know what the future holds.”

At 41, James is in the final year of his contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. For the first time in his career, he’s no longer the focal point of a franchise’s long-term plans.

And while many around the league have long assumed James would want a formal farewell tour, he hasn’t committed to that idea.

“I have not even thought to the point of a farewell tour or whatever the case may be,” James said. “Because I haven’t had the conversation with myself and my family on when is it over? So… I think that will come after that.”

It was his first public mention of a potential farewell in nearly two years, and it reopened a door many thought was already closed. If James doesn’t announce a goodbye in advance, it raises the possibility that his exit could be quieter – less scripted, more personal.

The clues that point to retirement

There are clues pointing in both directions. He’s spoken about the appeal of golf, a hobby he picked up last summer, and what it offers him.

“It’s very rare for me to be able to just get away and not be bothered,” James said. “And if you play golf, it’s one of the places where you just are not allowed to be bothered.”

Yet he still sounds like someone deeply invested: “My why has been that I’m still playing this game at a high level and I still love the process,” James said.

“I’m in a battle with Father Time and I’m taking it personal, and I’m seeing how many more times I could be victorious over him.”

At the same time, there have been moments – an Instagram post after Toronto, tears during the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ tribute video – that feel like breadcrumbs.

What James decides after this season remains a guessing game for everyone. Including him.