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LeBron James discussed the prospect of retirement but stopped short of offering a specific timeline for when he might hang up his sneakers.
“I’m definitely on the downside of my career,” the 40-year-old forward stated on the ‘360 With Speedy’ podcast. “There’s no way I’m playing another 23 years, that’s for sure, and I won’t be around for an additional 10 either.”
“I’m certainly preparing for the end, but that time hasn’t arrived yet,” continued the four-time NBA champion who has spent 22 seasons in the league.
As he gears up for his 23rd season since being drafted first overall in 2003, the upcoming 2025-26 season marks his eighth with the Los Angeles Lakers, following a lengthy tenure of 11 years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and four with the Miami Heat.
Last season, he participated in 75 games across the Regular Season and the Playoffs presented by Google, averaging 24.5 points, 8.0 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Showing no signs of decline, he’s nonetheless aware that retirement isn’t far off.
“Retirement is on the horizon,” he remarked, “but it’s not here just yet.”
In the interview filmed during his recent visit to China, LeBron touched on several topics, including a discussion about his bold claim regarding Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81-point game in 2006, as well as naming Derrick Tarver, a youth league adversary, as the toughest player he has ever had to defend.
