LeBron James just completed his 22nd season in the NBA, and while he continues to play at an elite level for the Los Angeles Lakers, some have wondered when the 40-year-old will finally decide to walk away from the game.
James posted a short video earlier this month of a reporter asking him if the retirement rumors were true and what is next for him. This caused quite the stir on social media, but it turned out to be an Amazon Prime Day ad and had nothing to do with his status for next season.
The subject came up again this weekend at Fanatics Fest in New York. While speaking on a panel with NFL legend Tom Brady and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, James admitted that he can’t play “that much further.”
LeBron then joked that Wembanyama and the next generation of NBA stars could send him into retirement even sooner, via Anthony Rivardo of Empire Sports Media:
LeBron James says he can’t tell how much longer he’ll keep playing, but if Wemby keeps “smacking his fucking shots into the stands” he might have to retire sooner 😭 pic.twitter.com/1OzBKjWALb
— Anthony Rivardo (@Anthony_Rivardo) June 21, 2025
Wembanyama was arguably the most anticipated prospect since James when he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wemby won unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year honors and was in the middle of another historic campaign before a blood clot in his right shoulder prematurely ended his second season. He likely would have won Defensive Player of the Year if not for the injury.
Even with the competition getting tougher, James has more than held his own in the twilight of his career. This past season once again saw him fill the stat sheet en route to making the All-NBA Second Team.
James has a player option with the Lakers for the 2025-26 NBA season that he has yet to pick up yet, so it remains to be seen how much longer he will play. LeBron has accomplished virtually everything possible, including sharing the court with his son Bronny.
Tom Brady gives LeBron James his flowers
Maybe the only athlete who knows what it feels like to be as successful as LeBron James late into his career is Tom Brady, who played 23 seasons and won seven Super Bowls.
Brady took his offseason training just as seriously as James and recently gave flowers to the Lakers star for being the greatest ever because of it.
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