It's the end of LeEra in Los Angeles.After eight seasons in Southern California, LeBron James has informed the Lakers that he will be leaving the team for the 2026-27 campaign, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday. It's a huge piece of news—the near-decade James spent with the Lakers is the longest single period he has remained with a team in his 23-season career. Moreover, the bombshell also confirms that the four-time title winner will return for yet another year in the league, thereby delaying his forthcoming retirement a little bit longer.LeBron James Free Agency: Three Destinations That Make Sense After Superstar Chose to Leave LakersWith James gone, Luka Dončić will become the face of the Lakers franchise, as was the plan when the Lakers traded for him back at the February 2025 trade deadline. The future Hall of Famers have had a great working relationship during their time in the Purple and Gold, often praising one another before and after games and hyping one another up. That mutual respect was again made clear on Tuesday, when Dončić commented on James's decision after it was made public."An honor to play with and learn from you," the Slovenian guard wrote on his Instagram story, alongside a photo of him and James.Take a look at that below:Dončić and James played together for a season and a half. | @lukadoncic on InstagramDončić and James didn't have all that long together in L.A. They were teammates for just about a season and a half, and lost valuable playing time when James began the 2025-26 on the sideline (he was dealing with a difficult bout of sciatica; it can be easy to forget that he is 41). They didn't reach incredibly great heights, either. The Lakers lost in the first round of the 2024-25 postseason—their first with Dončić—then exited in the second round this spring. That's not to say things couldn't have been different if they had more time. But James's choice to round out his career with another squad (Golden State? Cleveland?) is probably the right decision for everybody involved. That the pair—two of the brightest stars in the NBA—are parting on such good terms is incredibly notable. This league is known for big personalities and contentious rivalries; it is not uncommon for players to be beefing with guys both on and off their rosters. Plus, when Dončić came to L.A., it was as part of a deal that sent James's close friend Anthony Davis to Dallas. It would not be hard to imagine a world where their relationship began with resentment or animosity. But it never got there, at least not publicly. In fact, while speaking at his introductory press conference in Februrary 2025, Dončić said that James called him immediately after the trade was announced."It's like a dream come true, I've always looked up to him," he added of the opportunity to play with LeBron. "There's so many things I can learn from him and I'm just excited, you know. Just to learn everything and I get to play with him. So it's an amazing feeling."In a world of messy basketball breakups, we're happy these two kept it clean. And now, it's Luka's turn to lead the Lakers to a title.More NBA from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow