LeBron James is doing something that has — quite literally — never been done before in NBA history. When James suits up for his first game with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, he’ll become the first player ever to play in 23 seasons. Not only that, he’ll still be at an All-NBA level when doing so, something that has never been seen by a player in his third decade of NBA action.
Markieff Morris got another chance to see LeBron’s process and unprecedented longevity up close at the end of last season. He was brought over from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers in the Luka Doncic trade, re-joining L.A. after winning the 2020 NBA title with them. Back then, he saw a 35-year-old James in his 17th season lead the Lakers to a championship.
But five years later, he’s still playing competitive basketball and is still very arguably among the ten best players in the sport. So that begs the question, how much longer could LeBron do this? And Markieff was very certain of James’ possible longevity on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast:
“What’s he right now 41, 42? He for sure can play until 46. That’s for a fact, that’s factual. He’s 42 and he’s still having the best years of his career, at 42. He could play until 46. I’d say another four years if he wanted to. He could play four more years if he wanted to. He’s playing now at such a high level and he’s the second-best player on the team, so he’s the focal point.”
LeBron, of course, may not want to play until he’s 46. But if he’s willing to play until he’s no longer an elite player, then he likely has several years still left in the tank. How long his career lasts is almost assuredly going to be entirely up to him, and not because he no longer has a place in the league.
It gives each offseason another fascinating conversation topic, as someone still playing that well likely wouldn’t walk away from the game. But entering his age-41 season and his 23rd campaign, eventually the thought of walking away becomes more enticing than the thought of returning.
LeBron James shares valuable message to young athletes
Once the 2025-26 season gets underway, LeBron James will have played the most seasons in NBA history with 23. What makes that stat even crazier is that James is still playing at an All-NBA level.
When a player is at this stage of their career, they typically mentor rookies or second-year players. One example of that was Kobe Bryant when he was nearing the end of his illustrious career and the Lakers roster was full of young players. However, James has the benefit of teaching while competing for a championship, hoping to capture his fifth ring this season.
Now that Luka Doncic is in town, LeBron can prepare him for what it is like to play for an organization like the Lakers. James has seen a lot through his two decades in the NBA and he is also using that knowledge to pass a message to the next generation of young athletes.
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