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LeBron James has revisited the topic of retirement, although he stopped short of offering a specific timeline for when he might hang up his jersey.
“I realize that I’m on the other side of my career,” said the 40-year-old forward during his guest appearance on the ‘360 With Speedy’ podcast. “There’s no way I’m playing another 23 years, that’s for sure, and I definitely won’t play for another 10.”
“I’m definitely preparing for the end, though that moment hasn’t arrived yet,” added the four-time NBA champion, who has spent 22 seasons in the league.
As he approaches his 23rd season, after being chosen first overall in the 2003 draft, the upcoming 2025-26 campaign will mark his eighth with the Los Angeles Lakers, following 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and four with the Miami Heat.
In the previous season, he participated in 75 games across the Regular Season and the Playoffs, achieving averages of 24.5 points, 8.0 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Clearly, he’s not showing any signs of decline, but the decision to retire is looming on the horizon.
“Retirement is on the way,” he noted, “but it’s not quite here yet.”
In the interview conducted during his recent visit to China, LeBron discussed a variety of topics, including the debate around his claim of foreseeing Kobe Bryant’s legendary 81-point game in 2006 and naming Derrick Tarver, a former youth league opponent, as the toughest player he has ever defended against.
