Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James plans to return for a 23rd NBA season, according to the Associated Press, and he told the news outlet that his left knee is feeling “good” after he injured it in the playoffs.
James explained that he’s trying to be as close to 100 percent as possible when training camp begins.
“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James said.
James is at a stage of his career where retirement will likely be on the table every offseason until he finally does walk away from the game. Following L.A.’s elimination from the 2025 postseason, there was a little bit of doubt about his future, but for the most part, the expectation was that he would return.
Now, it appears that he is indeed gearing up for another year in the NBA, putting him on track to play his 23rd season, something that’s never been done before.
The veteran’s contact situation now becomes the center of attention with regard to his future. He has a player option attached to his deal for next season that he could exercise. He could also opt out and hit free agency this offseason before signing a new deal with the Lakers. James leaving the team would be a surprise.
James injured his knee in Game 5 of L.A.’s first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game that ultimately ended the season for the Lakers. While there’s never a good time to be hurt, James at least suffered the injury right before his offseason began, giving him ample time to recover.
The 2025 NBA Finals are still ongoing, but for much of the league, it’s already time to start thinking about the 2025-26 campaign. The Lakers have some work to do this offseason in order to get themselves closer to contention, and James’ job this summer is just to ensure that he’ll still look like himself when the new season begins.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game this season, and he also produced at a high level in the playoffs, but he didn’t do enough to help the Lakers to a series victory in the first round.