Originally published by LakersNation.com
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is in his 23rd NBA season at age 41. His future has been one of the biggest topics of discussion surrounding L.A. — and the entire league — this season. He is on an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and that has left many to speculate whether or not this will be James’ final season.
On one hand, James is still capable of being an offensive engine. He posted a triple-double on Thursday night, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to do so, in a Lakers win over the Dallas Mavericks. However, he has already missed 18 games this season, and his defense has been subpar when he is on the floor.
As the Lakers enter the All-Star break, James was asked about how long he thinks he can continue to play. He focused on the mental side of continuing to play over the physical.
“It’s not about my game. My game is not going anywhere,” James said. “It’s my body, it’s all the other things. There’s so many more factors that come with how long will I play the game. I don’t think my game will ever suffer if I decided to continue to go however long that is. I just think it’s about how long can I stay in love with the process? Because that’s always been my thing.
“If I can’t stay in love with the process then if this goes then my body is gonna go. And once my body goes then it’s a wrap. Then the love goes and then the fun and all that stuff goes. It’s not like my game is deteriorating, or whatever the case may be. I would say there’s things I could’ve did when I was 25 compared to 35 and 35 to 41… But I have so much knowledge of the game that I know how to still continue to make an impact if I’m not a 43-inch vertical. I can still do so many things on the floor.”
James reiterated this point when asked about his ability to be a high-impact player each night even at 41.
“I’ve never been sorry at basketball. I’ve been good ever since I started playing. So I’m just trying to keep it going and like I said, work on my game. I was out early today working on my game. I give all the praise to the people before us and the basketball gods and things of that nature, but yeah. Any given night, if I need to turn it on, I can turn it on.”
James is right that, if he really wanted to, he could likely be an effective player well into his 40s. But doing that would require a level of focus and energy that may not be worthwhile for someone who has accomplished virtually everything possible.
LeBron’s future is going to continue being a topic until he is out of the NBA, and the noise will only intensify as the season nears the end.
LeBron James collaborating with JuJu Watkins
LeBron James debuted his LeBron NXXT Gen line of sneakers for Nike back in 2023. This particular line is geared more towards younger basketball players with features designed to better support them on the court.
James is obviously one of the biggest stars the game of basketball has ever seen, but there are some younger players coming up who look to be transcendent as well and one of those on the women’s side is USC star JuJu Watkins. Though Watkins is still recovering from a torn ACL she suffered in March of 2025, she remains one of the most popular collegiate athletes.
And now Watkins has linked up with James as she is collaborating with the Lakers star, co-designing her own version shoe, known as the “Silver Lining” Nike LeBron NXXT Gen by JuJu.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is in his 23rd NBA season at age 41. His future has been one of the biggest topics of discussion surrounding L.A. — and the entire league — this season. He is on an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and that has left many to speculate whether or not this will be James’ final season.
On one hand, James is still capable of being an offensive engine. He posted a triple-double on Thursday night, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to do so, in a Lakers win over the Dallas Mavericks. However, he has already missed 18 games this season, and his defense has been subpar when he is on the floor.
As the Lakers enter the All-Star break, James was asked about how long he thinks he can continue to play. He focused on the mental side of continuing to play over the physical.
“It’s not about my game. My game is not going anywhere,” James said. “It’s my body, it’s all the other things. There’s so many more factors that come with how long will I play the game. I don’t think my game will ever suffer if I decided to continue to go however long that is. I just think it’s about how long can I stay in love with the process? Because that’s always been my thing.
“If I can’t stay in love with the process then if this goes then my body is gonna go. And once my body goes then it’s a wrap. Then the love goes and then the fun and all that stuff goes. It’s not like my game is deteriorating, or whatever the case may be. I would say there’s things I could’ve did when I was 25 compared to 35 and 35 to 41… But I have so much knowledge of the game that I know how to still continue to make an impact if I’m not a 43-inch vertical. I can still do so many things on the floor.”
James reiterated this point when asked about his ability to be a high-impact player each night even at 41.
“I’ve never been sorry at basketball. I’ve been good ever since I started playing. So I’m just trying to keep it going and like I said, work on my game. I was out early today working on my game. I give all the praise to the people before us and the basketball gods and things of that nature, but yeah. Any given night, if I need to turn it on, I can turn it on.”
James is right that, if he really wanted to, he could likely be an effective player well into his 40s. But doing that would require a level of focus and energy that may not be worthwhile for someone who has accomplished virtually everything possible.
LeBron’s future is going to continue being a topic until he is out of the NBA, and the noise will only intensify as the season nears the end.
LeBron James collaborating with JuJu Watkins
LeBron James debuted his LeBron NXXT Gen line of sneakers for Nike back in 2023. This particular line is geared more towards younger basketball players with features designed to better support them on the court.
James is obviously one of the biggest stars the game of basketball has ever seen, but there are some younger players coming up who look to be transcendent as well and one of those on the women’s side is USC star JuJu Watkins. Though Watkins is still recovering from a torn ACL she suffered in March of 2025, she remains one of the most popular collegiate athletes.
And now Watkins has linked up with James as she is collaborating with the Lakers star, co-designing her own version shoe, known as the “Silver Lining” Nike LeBron NXXT Gen by JuJu.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!