Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who matched his career-high with nine three-pointers in Sunday’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets, acknowledged that his remaining time in the NBA is not very long.
“I’m not planning to play another 21 years, that’s for certain,” James remarked following Sunday’s game, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. “But, my time left isn’t extensive. I’m uncertain when I’ll retire, but I know it won’t be long.”
In the Lakers’ 116-104 triumph over the Brooklyn Nets, James notched an impressive 40 points alongside seven rebounds and five assists.
At the age of 39, the Lakers icon, who celebrated his birthday in December, holds a $54.1 million player option for the 2024-25 season.
Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, James is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.
Throughout his illustrious career, James has maintained an average of over 25 points per game for 20 consecutive seasons, making him the first player in NBA history to achieve the milestone of 40,000 points.
Because he’s been in the league since age 18, James has been an NBA player for longer than he hasn’t been an NBA player, as noted by USA Today’s Jim Sergent and Ramon Padilla.
In January 2023, James expressed his desire to continue playing until he could share the court with his son, Bronny, who recently completed his freshman season at USC, as conveyed to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Following Bronny’s health scare, where he experienced cardiac arrest during a summer workout, necessitating emergency surgery and postponing his debut for USC, he concluded the season with averages of 4.8 points and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes over 25 games, primarily as a reserve.
Bronny’s potential entry into the 2024 NBA Draft remains undecided, contingent upon the interest of teams, according to his agent, Rich Paul, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The uncertainty surrounding Bronny’s NBA future may impact James’ decision regarding a new contract.
As of now, the Lakers hope James opts to continue his career in Los Angeles for the upcoming season. The deadline for the option decision is slated for June 29, according to Spotrac.
