Following a report that caught attention, suggesting the Golden State Warriors explored the possibility of acquiring him at the trade deadline, LeBron James expressed on Sunday his desire to conclude his playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers were positioned ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 30-26 when the NBA entered its All-Star Weekend. While they secured one championship during James’ tenure with the team and made it to the Western Conference finals last season, their ability to remain competitive in the long run is uncertain.

Before the trade deadline, James hinted at his displeasure with the team by sharing an hourglass emoji on social media. Nonetheless, prior to the All-Star Game on Sunday in Indianapolis, James mentioned that he is “very happy” in Los Angeles.

“I am a Laker and I’m happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way,” James expressed. “But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully (it) is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization, so many greats. But we’ll see.”

James also holds a player option to extend his stay with the Lakers in the upcoming season. While he possesses the choice to reject the option and become a free agent, he revealed earlier this month that he has yet to finalize his decision.

Regarding the immediate future, James stated that he will not participate in the entire All-Star Game in Indianapolis, it being his record-setting 20th appearance, as he continues to recover from a left ankle injury.

“The most important thing for me is definitely my health, where I’m at right now, where our team is leaning,” James said. “We’re trending in the right direction.”

“Obviously, with our Laker team, it’s been about health all year. Trying to do what’s best for me for the betterment of the team.”

James also affirmed his commitment to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris this summer as part of Team USA.

“I told myself before the season when I committed to being a part of the Olympic team, obviously it was all predicated on my health,” he said. “As it stands right now, I am healthy enough to be on the team and perform at a level that I knew I could perform at.”

This season, James has maintained averages of 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 49 games, marking his 21st season in the league.