At 40 years old, LeBron James knows the end is near for his NBA career. Ahead of his 21st NBA All-Star game, the King spoke up about the upcoming event and reminded everyone that it will likely be one of his last.
“There ain’t going to be that many times left,” James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “So you take it all in and you don’t take it for granted. It’s coming to an end soon.”
At 40 years old, LeBron James is defying all logic by putting up an impressive stat line of 24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. He’s been one of the most consistent players for the Lakers this season with 48 games played and several signature performances where he carried his team to victory.
This season, he’s also living out his dream by playing alongside his firstborn son, Bronny, who was drafted 55th overall by the Lakers last summer. Between Bronny’s presence and the arrival of Luka Doncic, the path is clear for LeBron James to retire gracefully, on a Lakers team that can compete while also having a leading star who can run the show on his own.
Of course, nobody knows exactly when the King plans to retire. So far, he’s been pretty vague about his plans but he has given some hints as to where he’s at on the timeline of his career. The first sign that LeBron was getting close to the end was after the 2023 NBA playoffs when the Lakers were swept at the hands of the Nuggets.
It was one of the first times that James publicly spoke about his retirement, and he acknowledged that his career was coming to a close. Of course, LeBron stuck around and he’s currently still active on the Lakers this season as Luka Doncic’s newest co-star.
At 40 years old with over two decades of mileage on his body, it doesn’t take a genius to tell that James is closer to the end of his basketball career than he’s ever been before. While James is still producing on the court, his impact isn’t the same as it once was and now that the Lakers have Luka, their focus will shift to him as the future face of the franchise.
As for how much time James has left, only he can say for sure. He’s playing well enough to keep going for years and his other son, Bryce, will be eligible for the NBA Draft in 2026. The Lakers have made it known to LeBron that he has a place on the team for as long as he wants it. How long he stays is entirely in his hands.
Ahead of NBA All-Star weekend, LeBron was not the leading vote-getter this year but he’s going to start for Team Shaq. In what will likely be one of his last All-Star appearances, the King is sure to put on a show and he’s going to take special care to appreciate the moment while he can. Of course, after it’s done, LeBron’s focus will shift right back to the NBA title pursuit.
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