LeBron James is entering his 23rd NBA season, but speculation about his future is heating up, and it might not involve the NBA at all. According to Brian Windhorst on ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast, the league’s all-time leading scorer has been linked to possible opportunities outside the NBA.
“I keep hearing people like, this might be the last year, this might be the last year. Look, he’s been linked to potentially playing in other leagues. I don’t know, maybe. But if he stays healthy, I do not see LeBron James slowing down.”
The timing of Windhorst’s comments is notable. For the first time in his career, LeBron picked up a player option that leaves him in the final year of a contract. While there have been whispers about him leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, neither James’ camp nor the Lakers have addressed those rumors directly.
The franchise and Luka Doncic, his new co-star hope he ends his career in purple and gold. But LeBron’s global ambitions may be pulling him in another direction.
Over the summer, a photo of James with Nikola Jokic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, on a yacht in Saint-Tropez went viral. Many assumed the meeting was about basketball partnerships or free agency recruiting.
But Raznatovic later revealed the conversation was much bigger: LeBron and his business partner, Maverick Carter, were in talks with investors about forming a new European-based basketball league designed to rival the NBA.
The proposal, reportedly seeking $5 billion in backing with Saudi investors as a potential partner, would represent the boldest challenge to the NBA’s dominance in decades. While the NBA has long floated the idea of an “NBA Europe,” a James-led league could accelerate those plans or even compete directly with them.
European basketball already has a strong tradition through the EuroLeague, where stars like Luka Doncic, Toni Kukoc, and Drazen Petrovic once honed their craft. But with international superstars such as Jokic, Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama dominating today’s NBA, the timing of a James-backed league feels significant.
Still, the hurdles are massive. The NBA’s infrastructure, marketing power, and television deals remain unmatched. Even with LeBron’s global profile and Carter’s business acumen, creating a league that could truly rival the NBA would take years of planning, player buy-in, and logistical precision.
For now, James is locked in on the 2025-26 season with the Lakers, chasing one more championship alongside Luka. But the whispers will persist.
At 40 years old, LeBron remains an active superstar, yet his off-court influence continues to grow. Whether he ends his career in Los Angeles or takes his talents to a new global stage, James’ next chapter could reshape basketball in ways no player ever has.
