LeBron James has accomplished pretty much everything possible in basketball, but the NBA’s all-time leading scorer isn’t just ready to walk away.
Speaking alongside Tyrese Haliburton during the live recording of the Mind The Game podcast at Fanatics Fest, LeBron explained why he decided to return for a record-extending 24th NBA season.
“I mean, I love to play, man. It’s a lot of competition. I love going out there, playing against the best in the world, and still being able to inspire the younger generation. Also inspire my generation.”
“You know, it’s a lot of people in my age bracket, not only in sports but also just in life, seeing if they can still put up the same effort that they did maybe five years ago or 10 years ago and still give it all they got. So, you know, I’m trying to inspire, like I said, the younger generation, also my generation, the people that came before me and them.”
For LeBron, the motivation lies beyond titles or accolades. At 41 years of age, LeBron sees this as proof that age doesn’t define what someone is capable of accomplishing.
Even last season, he was still one of the best players in the league.
James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field during the regular season. He raised his game in the postseason as well, averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting 45.9% from the floor.
Those playoff performances helped the Lakers pull off one of the biggest upsets of the playoffs. With Luka Doncic ruled out of the entire first-round series against the Houston Rockets and Austin Reaves missing four games, LeBron carried the Lakers past the Rockets in a shocking upset that showed everyone he can still dominate when needed.
LeBron also hinted that he thinks he can continue playing for far longer than anyone expects.
During the event, he joked that he could average double digits in the NBA for decades.
“I could average 10 points in the league for a long time. Like a long time. 65 or something like that. I don’t get fouls called for me anymore, so I would say three layups and four free throws. But they don’t call fouls for me. So if I get two or three layups a half, that’s 12 points right there.”
The crowd was also waiting for the biggest announcement of the offseason.
Haliburton tried to ask James whether he had made his much-awaited free-agency decision. But LeBron did not bite.
“We just talked about this in the back.”
Tyrese Haliburton asked LeBron James if he had a Decision for everyone to announce.
LeBron: “We just talked about this in the back.”
Haliburton: “OK, OK, I’ll leave it alone.”
And the podcast taping moved on. https://t.co/0N5F7H2qhK pic.twitter.com/7yjRxWKio9
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 16, 2026
Haliburton finally agreed to move on from the most talked-about topic of this offseason.
That brief clip only fueled rumors around LeBron’s future, as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Golden State Warriors continue to be linked with the four-time champion.
But regardless of where he plays, he has made one thing clear.
His decision to return isn’t based on money, records, or expectations. It’s fueled by his love of basketball and the challenge of competing against the best players in the world.
Twenty-four seasons into a legendary career, that passion still hasn’t faded. In fact, it remains the biggest reason why LeBron James is returning for yet another NBA season.
