LeBron James recently shocked the NBA world with a mysterious post on social media that sparked his potential retirement speculations. The 40-year-old posted a short video that featured a staged press conference. In the video, a reporter asks the Los Angeles Lakers star if the retirement rumors are true and “What’s next”? The video ends as soon as LeBron goes to answer that question.
The cryptic video was captioned, “ I’ve been asking myself the same question…”. Soon after the ad campaign was released, it fueled possible doubts about his future in the league. Meanwhile, the NBA star has shut down all these retirement rumors by hinting at the historic 23rd season.
I’ve been asking myself the same question…
#ad pic.twitter.com/ieSG62C7cA
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 14, 2025
LeBron James Makes Plan for Next Season Crystal Clear
LeBron, who is 40 years old, is at that stage of his career where retirement rumors are speculated every offseason. Additionally, the Lakers were eliminated from in the first round of the playoffs, adding more fuel to his future. However, he has been defying age-related decline in the NBA and continued to perform at the top level while most players experience a drop-off.
James is trying to be as close a 100 percent ahead of the training camp. He told The Associated Press:
“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body, and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September.”
The four-time NBA Champion also told the aforementioned source that he is feeling “good” ahead of the upcoming season. James has already played for 22 years in the NBA and will be entering his eighth successive season in a Lakers jersey.
LeBron’s Longevity is Remarkable
As per a report in ESPN, LeBron, who is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is expected to pick up his $52.6 million player option for the upcoming season. According to Shams Charania, the player is “likely” to opt into his player option staying with the Lakers for at least one more season. LeBron has entered unrestricted free agency three times previously. But he nows feels prime to return to the Lakers without entering free agency. With this, LeBron will become the player to have played the most seasons in the NBA. He currently ties with Vince Carter with 22 seasons.
What’s even more impressive is that LeBron is still playing at an elite level. This past season, LeBron averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. Furthermore, LeBron made his 21st straight All-Star and All-NBA team. For LeBron to still be producing at this level is truly unprecedented.
The Lakers famously traded Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic this past season. The addition of the Slovenian star can be an exciting factor for James to return to the 17-time NBA champions for another year. With Luka and LeBron the Lakers chance to compete for a championship next year. James doesn’t seem to be contemplating retirement just yet and is fully focused on recovering ahead of the Lakers’ training camp in September.
Featured image: © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
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