LeBron James retirement, Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James Lakers, LeBron James birthday, LeBron Lakers future, LeBron Father Time
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Lebron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on December 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
LeBron James is in his record-breaking 23rd NBA season and is about to celebrate his 41st birthday. But no means does he have a lot left in the tank, and according to a new report, James could be closer to retirement than ever before, finally closing the book on his historic career in the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers star has shown obvious signs of aging, and though his performance in theteam’s last game shows that he can still be impactful, the end is almost here.
Answering the question of whether this is James’s last season before retirement, Lakers insider Dave McMenamin gave a brutal yet telling response.
“Just look at the clues. James is in the final year of his contract. His longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN over the summer that Jamesdidn’t ask for an extension with the Lakers,”McMenamin wrote. “We could also be looking ahead at the last 50 or so regular-season games that James has left in him.”
In what could be his final year, James is averaging 20.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 14 games, all of which are near career lows through the first nine weeks of this NBA season.
LeBron James Retirement Near
The insidergave a few key reasons that could signal James isclose to retirement, with some reasons moreobvious than others.
The first is James picking up his player option for the Lakers this year, a movethat he made over the summer, which caused mass speculation becausehe’ll be a free agent by the end of this season.Additionally, the interview Paul gave to Shams Charania once James picked up his option eerilylooked like a goodbye letter to the Los Angeles franchise at the time.
McMenamin addedJames’increasing involvement in golf as another factor that could hint at retirement.Though it is a popularly shared hobbyfor athletes that James picked up late in his career, his rise in golf-related posts and comments could signal that, like so much of the country, he is ready to makethat his new priority,once heis done with his full-time job.
“In the past week, he said heisn’t qualified to speak about Jazz guardKeyonteGeorge‘s All-Star credentials because he iswatching too much YouTube golf in his spare time,”the insider wrote. “He also said at this point in his life, he is ready tobe home with his family rather than playing on Christmas Day.
He also mentioned TheKing’s recent tendency to ‘stop to smell the roses in some instances,‘relating to his praising the cities and arena atmospheres of Toronto and Philadelphia, a potential sign that points to him taking in what could be his last work trip tocertain NBA locations.
“We’ve also seen James stop to smell the roses in some instances — like when heposted love for the city of Toronto afterL.A.’s lone trip there this season, and when hewaxed poetic about how much he will miss electric road arenas after the Lakers played in Philadelphia,”McMenamin added.
Bleacher Report
“Imma be completely honest, I would like to be home on the couch with my family”
LeBron on playing Christmas Day 🎄👀
(Via @SpectrumSN)
Finally, James hasdropped more consistentmessaging about wanting to spend more time with his family, asseen in his thoughts about playing another game on Christmas Day.
LeBron James On ‘Father Time’
All of the previously mentioned reasons arehard to quantify, but James himself recently discussed his battle against ‘Father Time’, the beast that has provenvictories against every NBA athlete, barring James for the most part, so far.
“I remember, what was that, LeBron 20 or 21, when I did the Father Time commercial thing?”James said to reporters after theLakers’ latest win over the Kings. “I’m in a battle with him. And I would like to say thatI’m kicking his [expletive] on the back nine.”
Boom! Another golf reference.
When previously discussing his true thoughts on when his NBA career will ultimately end, James has remainedrather mum.Hehasn’t ruled out the idea of playing a few more seasons, but on multiple occasionssaid he knows the end is near.
“Obviously, I knowI’m on the other side of the hump, for sure,”James said in an offseason interview with Complex. “Come on now,I’m not about to play another 23 years,that’s for damn sure, andI’m not about to play another 10.I’m definitely gearing up to where the end is,I’m not there yet.”
If this is his last season, whenever Jamesdoes confirm the news, it will likelycome as the leading storyline across the league until the Lakers play their final game of the year, whether it be in the regular season or playoffs.