Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James just wrapped up his 23rd season in the NBA, and it’s currently unclear if he’ll return to the league for a 24th season in the 2026-27 campaign.
The 41-year-old is still playing at a high level, as he was named an All-Star during the 2025-26 season and helped the Lakers earn the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. However, there appears to be one aspect of the NBA season that James isn’t the biggest fan of at this stage in his career.
Late Night with Wob. NBA Playoffs Postgame Show. LeBron's last game? @PlayProphetX https://t.co/fzRVjNeKgn
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 12, 2026
“From what I know, his least favorite part of where he’s at in his career is all the traveling in the winter and doing these long road trips being away from his family,” NBA personality Rob Perez said.
Perez continued.
“If there’s one thing that I know about him that I’m willing to share – and I’m telling you, I do know some things – it’s that he’s just not in love with the whole traveling thing anymore,” Perez said. “If he could play all of his games at home, he’d probably play forever.”
Following the Lakers’ loss in Game 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs, James said that he will take some time with his family before deciding what to do next in his career.
LeBron James on his future:
"I don’t know what the future holds for me … I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, spend some time with them, and when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”pic.twitter.com/zTpxHWi00T
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 12, 2026
Even though James is still a great NBA player, it’s possible that he will choose to step away from the game if he doesn’t want to deal with all that an 82-game NBA regular season entails. After such a long time in the NBA, it’s understandable if he wants to have more time with his family with his kids growing up (one is even on the Lakers roster).
This season, James appeared in 60 regular-season games for the Lakers and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3. He also had a strong playoff run, averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
The Lakers knocked off the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs in six games, and Luka Doncic (hamstring) did not play in that series while Austin Reaves (oblique) only appeared in Games 5 and 6. James was the driving force behind the Lakers getting out to a 3-0 lead in the series, and he helped L.A. secure the No. 4 seed in the West after Reaves and Doncic went down.
If James does decide to return to the NBA, it appears the Lakers are interested in him returning to the team.
Rob Pelinka says the team wants both LeBron James and Austin Reaves back 😤 pic.twitter.com/mpMlPUJUrD
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) May 12, 2026
James has been with the Lakers since the 2018-19 season, and helped them win a title in the 2019-20 season in the NBA’s Orlando, Fla. bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic.