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Los Angeles Lakers
Sep 8, 2025 4:38 PM EDT
It’s been a busy offseason for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. Over the past week, he traveled to China for his “Forever King” Tour and made a stop in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside his U.S. Olympic teammates from the 2008 “Redeem Team” that won gold.
Now, with training camp set to begin at the end of the month, James is preparing for his 23rd NBA season — a milestone that will make him the longest-tenured player in league history.
Naturally, questions continue to swirl about what the future holds for James, who turns 41 in December. On Monday, ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst offered an update on how James seems to be approaching his looming retirement decision as he enters the final year of his contract with the Lakers.
“He’s going year to year,” Windhorst said. “Could this be his last year? Yes. Will it be his last year? I don’t know. Does he know right now? Maybe. My interpretation is that it has not been established. He will see where he’s at the end of the year.”
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
LeBron James has made it clear that he doesn’t plan to play much longer, despite remaining one of the NBA’s most productive players last season. He also stressed that he has no intention of playing until the “wheels fall off.”
“Obviously, it’s the mind — wherever the mind is is where the rest of my body’s gonna go, wherever the case may be,” James said. “I don’t know. I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest. I don’t know how many years that is, if it’s one year or two years, whatever the case may be.
“I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not going to be that guy.”
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