At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, LeBron James won his fourth gold medal. But with the Olympics coming to his backyard in 2028, will he try for a fifth?
LeBron would be 43 years old when the Olympics come to Los Angeles and it’s widely expected that he’ll be retired by then. But LeBron has staved off father time for a while now so there are some people that think he might try to at least play.
But in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles Lakers megastar seemed to dismiss the idea. He said that he simply doesn’t see it happening but made it clear that he’ll always be loyal to Team USA and USA Basketball.
“Nothing has changed. Where we at, man, 2025 right now?” LeBron said. “Nah, nothing has changed. I mean, if I had to look at it right now through a microscope, I would say that, me being able to support Team USA for the rest of my life — that’s for sure. But me actually going on and playing, I don’t see it happening. I’ve given everything that I have, and I will always be appreciative and loyal and dedicated to Team USA and USA Basketball.”
LeBron James on Butchering Phil Collins for Amazon, His Acting Plans and the 2028 L.A. Olympics https://t.co/K27eoKNn00
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 17, 2025
For LeBron to play in the Olympics in 2028, he would become the oldest Olympic basketball player in either gender ever.
The current record is 43 years and 79 days held Australia’s Lauren Jackson. Jackson played in five Olympic Games between 2000 and 2024, winning three silver medals and two bronze medals for her home country with her most recent bronze coming this past summer.
The oldest man to ever play in the Olympics is Brazil’s Marcelino Huertas, at 41 years and 63 days.
LeBron showed at the Olympics and in the past NBA season that he can still play at a high level. But even he knows that continuing to play long enough to be a viable Olympic candidate for several more years is not likely to work out for him.
We may have really seen the last of LeBron James at the Olympics.
But that doesn’t mean Team USA is doomed to miss out on the gold in 2028.
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