LeBron James Reveals His NBA Retirement Plan

LeBron James has been in the NBA for 18 seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. But the Los Angeles Lakers star knows the end of his career is closer than what it was 10 years ago. James recently appeared on the SmartLess podcast to promote his new movie Space Jam: A New Legacy. He said he would love to finish his career with the Lakers after spending time with two different teams.

“I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers,” James said, per Yahoo Sports. And how many years that is, if it’s four, five, six, whatever, seven, I hope I can continue to play the game. I love being in L.A.; my family loves being in L.A. Being with a historic franchise like the Lakers is something like, it’s like me being in ‘Space Jam’ now. I never thought it’d be possible.”

James signed with the Lakers in July 2018 after opting out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in just 55 games that season due to injuries, and the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The following season, the Lakers added Anthony Davis to the lineup and won the NBA Finals. James became the third player in NBA history to win championships with three different teams.

In December, James signed a two-year, $85 million extension with the Lakers, which will keep him with the team through the 2022-23 season. The all-time NBA record for most seasons played in Vince Carter with 22. He will be 38 years old when his contract expires.

Depending on how James is playing and his health, he could likely sign one last extension with the Lakers. While he hasn’t played a full season since the 2017-2018 season, James’ numbers are still fairly strong. James played in just 45 games this season but averaged 25 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per contest. Earlier in the year, James was selected to play in his 17th All-Star game.

There have been many debates about James’ legacy and he is better than Michael Jordan. While James has two fewer championships than Jordan, he has competed in 10 NBA Finals while winning four of them and winning four NBA Finals MVPs. He’s the only player in NBA history to win titles with three NBA teams as NBA Finals MVP.