At age 39, LeBron James has shown few signs of slowing down. The Los Angeles Lakers star is averaging 25.4 points per game this season to go with 7.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists.
Despite the fact that he continues to play at an All-NBA level, thoughts of retirement are starting to creep in. He could likely continue playing at a high level for several more years but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be around for much longer. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, he’s hearing that James’ retirement could be soon.
“Most people I talk to around LeBron James, about LeBron James, [say] one to two more years is definitely the expectation,” Charania said on the April 2 episode of the “Pat McAfee Show.”
Though his play on the court has been strong the last few years, he’s been getting injured more often than he did earlier in his career. The Lakers also haven’t been the most consistent franchise. Since James joined the team in 2018, the team has missed the playoffs twice and a first-round exit once. Los Angeles is currently the ninth seed in the Western Conference and will likely have to compete in the play-in tournament just to make it into the playoffs. Unless the Lakers can figure out how to quickly build a stronger team around James, his retirement decision will likely be easier.
"One or two more years is the expectation for LeBron James..
Clearly he still loves the game and he still wants to win another ring" ~ @ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/rvwOwP1MPJ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 2, 2024
LeBron James Recently Admitted Retirement Is Near
Vince Carter has played the most seasons in NBA history with 22. LeBron James is currently in his 21st season. He’ll tie Carter for the record next season but James is playing at a much higher level now than Carter was toward the end.
For his part, James is definitely letting thoughts of retirement enter his mind.
“Not very long,” James said when asked how much longer he plans to play during his March 31 postgame media availability. “Not very long. I’m on the other side, obviously, of the hill. I’m not gonna play another 21 years, that’s for damn sure. But not very long. I don’t know when that door will close as far as when I’ll retire. But I don’t have much time left.”
James likely hasn’t made any decisions yet and how his body feels could play a big role. He’s on track to play in the most games he’s played in a season since 2017-18 so his body doesn’t appear to be breaking down quite yet.
Will LeBron James Retire With Los Angeles Lakers?
LeBron James has a player option in his contract this offseason so he can choose to hit free agency if he wants. There hasn’t been any indication he plans to leave but early end of the season for the Lakers could present some issues.
James clearly doesn’t have much time left in the NBA and could want to spend his final years competing for championships. The Lakers could go on another run similar to last season where they made it through the play-in tournament and then all the way to the Western Conference Finals but even that might not be enough for James to stay. That said, he appears to like living in Los Angeles and may want to spend his final years in a situation he’s comfortable with.
