LeBron James: ‘I won’t hold you guys up too much longer’

LeBron James may not have announced his free-agency decision Thursday, but he certainly hinted that it isn’t far away.

Speaking later in the day at the CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit following his initial appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York, James offered perhaps his biggest clue yet about his timeline.

“I won’t hold you guys up too much longer,” James said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Earlier, during a live taping of his Mind the Game podcast alongside Tyrese Haliburton, James laughed off repeated attempts to get him to reveal his next destination.

“We literally talked about this in the back,” James told Haliburton after the Pacers guard jokingly asked if there was still “a decision that has to be made.”

James also smiled as fans shouted out destinations from the crowd, acknowledging he heard chants for the Warriors, 76ers and Heat before joking that one fan even urged him to join the Yankees.

Asked by an 11-year-old fan how he views free agency, James said the decision extends beyond basketball.

“It’s a big decision,” he said. “Not only for myself, but for my family as well.”

James added that wherever he lands, he plans to embrace a leadership role.

“I’m a natural-born leader,” he said. “I’m going to try to fit in with whatever team I go to but also give them all the tools and all the knowledge that I’ve been able to grasp over the last 23 years.”

He also offered a heartfelt farewell to the Lakers, thanking owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka, his coaches and teammates after spending eight seasons with the franchise.

League sources continue to tell Hoops Wire that the Cavaliers remain the team many around the NBA believe has the inside track to land James, though the Heat, 76ers and Warriors continue to be mentioned among the clubs pursuing the four-time MVP.

If James’ latest comments are any indication, the wait for his decision may finally be nearing its end.