There are a lot of questions surrounding Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James heading into his 23rd NBA season. He is not only set to become the first player in NBA history to ever play that many seasons, but he is also entering the final year of his contract with the Lakers and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Of course at this stage of his career, every season could be his final year in the league, but if he does choose to play beyond this season, people are wondering if James could be suiting up elsewhere. These are questions many around the league are asking, but his agent Rich Paul feels people’s focus should be elsewhere.
In an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today, insider Shams Charania revealed that he spoke to Paul with the agent saying that people shouldn’t worry about the LeBron’s future, but rather focus on appreciating him in the present:
“I think just seeing how this year plays out. I mean, it’s clear that he’s not sure. Does he have one year left? Does he have another season after that, so 2026-2027? I did speak to his agent Rich Paul at Klutch Sports today and he told me, ‘It’s important not to worry about the future when it comes to LeBron James, just appreciate the present.’ And also maximizing his present and that onus potentially falling on the Lakers and what team they put around him. But it’s obvious, how does he feel about the Lakers going into the season, as the year continues on can they be a contender moving forward? And I think the other thing that also sits here as well is, Bryce James is gonna start his freshman year at college. How does he look? How does he look at a prospect? How does he play into the 2026 NBA Draft? So these are all things I think LeBron James is gonna be open-minded about.”
As Charania noted, there are a lot of things at play on all sides. How the Lakers approach this year in trying to win immediately while also staying flexible for the future is important, and James will surely be keeping an eye on that. And the potential of his second son Bryce James entering the NBA a year from now is of the utmost importance to LeBron without a doubt.
But while all the questions about James’ future are valid, Paul is right in that it is important to really appreciate his greatness in the present while he is still playing at such a high level. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the drama, but if this is LeBron’s final year with the Lakers, or in the NBA period, everyone should enjoy it.
Lakers’ LeBron James congratulates A’ja Wilson on record 4th WNBA MVP Award
Speaking of appreciating the present, LeBron James made sure to do so with WNBA star A’ja Wilson as the Lakers superstar took to social media to congratulate her on becoming the first player to win four WNBA MVP awards.
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