LeBron James is still putting up monster numbers at 40 years old and is doing things few people thought possible.
But even though he remains a massive talent, James won’t be playing basketball forever.
According to reporting from Fred Katz, Joe Vardon, and Sam Amick, per Legion Hoops, people close to James think he could retire within the next two years.
This is what most Lakers fans expected, but it’s still a tough concept for them to wrap their heads around.
REPORT: People close to LeBron James believe he could retire within the next 2 years.
(via @FredKatz, @joevardon, @sam_amick) pic.twitter.com/LEEZrYsFNE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 4, 2025
James has another season on his contract after this one and we have seen little to indicate he’d stop playing before that.
He has averaged 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists during his 44 games this season and is shooting 51.3 percent from the field.
Beyond that, James remains the team’s leader and the center of attention in Los Angeles.
However, the addition of Luka Doncic might change all of that.
Many analysts have noted that Doncic will run the next generation of the team, and he will be the Lakers’ biggest star once James steps away.
Until then, he can take a lot of pressure off of James’ shoulders and lighten his load.
Does that mean James might have more energy and better health and could actually play longer than two more years?
At the same time, perhaps Doncic coming to the team encourages James to retire because he knows the Lakers will be in good hands.
Everyone knows that James loves to play basketball and saying goodbye to it will be incredibly hard for him, but he is obviously nearing the end of his NBA tenure.
Thankfully for Lakers fans, it looks like the team might be entering an exciting chapter even without him.
NEXT: Brian Windhorst Reveals Big Concern About Luka Doncic's Future With Lakers
