On 40th birthday, LeBron James thinks he has ‘another five or seven years’ in the NBA if he wants them to…
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James marked his 40th birthday on Monday with a sense of gratitude for his remarkable longevity in basketball and optimism about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
When asked how he’ll know it’s time to retire, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer offered a candid reflection on his still-impressive skills.
“To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for another — it’s strange to say this — but another five or seven years, if I wanted,” James said. “But I’m not going to do that.”
With one of the longest careers in NBA history, James is aware that the end is nearing. While he’s repeatedly stated he won’t linger too long in the game, that moment hasn’t arrived yet: James remains a dominant presence for the Pacific Division-leading Lakers, averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists, and 7.9 rebounds this season.
“It’s almost laughable to think about where I am now, playing at such a high level,” James said. “I still feel like a young man, but I’m also old when you consider how many years I’ve been in this profession. I think back to when I first entered the league as an 18-year-old kid, and now I’m 40, with 22 years in the NBA, playing alongside a 20-year-old. It’s pretty cool.”
Currently in his 22nd NBA season — tied for second-most in history with Vince Carter — James will join the select group of players to play after turning 40 when the Lakers face the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. The Akron native delivered Cleveland’s only major professional sports championship in 2016.
James admitted that turning 40 felt surreal, saying, “I had a decade in my 30s, so waking up and thinking, ‘Oh shoot, you’re 40?’ — it’s a bit of a shock.”
The passage of time has become especially real for James since he and his son, Bronny, made history as the first father-son duo to play in the NBA together.
James is also encouraged by the Lakers’ strong performance this season under new coach JJ Redick, with recent improvements following the trade of D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn in exchange for veteran wing defender Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.
“We’re a very good team right now,” James said. “I think we can compete with anyone in the league. Are we at a championship level? Can we win a title right now? No, I don’t think so. But that’s a good thing, because we have so much room to improve. We’ve also added two new players, so we’ll see how they fit in. It should be fun. But whether that impacts my decision to stick around longer, I’m not sure. It doesn’t change my career in any way.”
James also sees Los Angeles as the place where he’ll likely end his career, having settled into a comfortable life there with his family since 2018.
“I would love for it to end here,” James said. “That’s the plan. I came here to play the final stage of my career and finish it here. But I’m not naive or blind to the business side of the game. I know how things work in basketball. But I think my relationship with this organization speaks for itself.”
