LeBron James is nearing the end of his legendary NBA career, but has never given a definitive timeline on his eventual retirement. He hasn’t done it yet, but on his 40th birthday Monday offered several important details that at least give us a rough idea.
The most notable thing is that the end is absolutely near.
“If I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level, probably for a period longer (it’s strange that I can say this), but probably another five or seven years, if I wanted to,” James told reporters. “But I’m not going to do that.”
At this stage, James is likely operating with a year-over-year plan. His current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers lasts through the end of the 2025-26 season, but because he has a player option after the season, he is effectively free to choose his circumstances as each offseason arrives. Still, that doesn’t mean he plans to leave the Lakers. James said he believes retiring as a Laker is “the plan” moving forward, but stopped short of issuing a guarantee.
“I think that’s the plan,” James said. “I would love for this to end here. That would be the plan. I came here to play the last stage of my career and finish it here. But I’m not stupid or too tired to know the business of the game too, to know the business of basketball “But I think my relationship with this organization speaks for itself and hopefully I won’t have to go anywhere before my career is over.”
Once LeBron retires, he says he won’t be back
What James did guarantee on Monday is that when he decides to hang up his sneakers, it will be forever.
“I’m not leaving and coming back,” he said.
The player he has been compared to throughout his career, Michael Jordan, retired and returned to the NBA twice. If James finishes this season and then plays one more, he will retire having played 23 seasons in the NBA. That’s the uniform number both he and Jordan wore for most of their NBA careers.
Of course, there’s no reason for James to rush into retirement, especially considering his commitment not to undo such a decision. James is, at least statistically, the the best player of all time to reach 40 in the NBA. Maybe he doesn’t want to play for five to seven more years. But injuries aside, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t have at least two or three more years left at a very high level.
The Lakers just acquired Dorian Finney-Smith in their first trade of the year. With another big move or two, could potentially bring James back into the championship conversation and confirm once and for all that he is retiring from purple and gold.
We don’t have much of LeBron left to enjoy, and once he’s gone, he’s gone forever. Monday was another stark reminder of that. Now that he’s turned 40, it’s up to his team, his fans, and even himself to make the most of his remaining time in the NBA.
