As LeBron James gears up for his 23rd season in the NBA, fans are buzzing with questions about the Los Angeles Lakers star’s future and how he plans to close out his career.
James currently shares the record for most NBA seasons played with Vince Carter and is set to break that milestone at the start of the 2025-26 season. He is also just 49 games shy of setting the record for most games played in league history, an achievement he is likely to reach while still wearing a Lakers jersey.
But what comes after the 2025-26 season? Recent insights from an NBA insider shed light on possible next steps for James.
Will LeBron James Retire After His 23rd Season in the NBA?
Retiring after his 23rd season would make a neat story, considering James has worn the number 23 throughout his career. Ending on the 23rd season would be a fitting finale.
Still, James appears capable of continuing beyond the 2025-26 campaign. He remains far from done, putting up strong numbers. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game.
To put it in context, Vince Carter averaged just five points and 2.1 rebounds in his final NBA season. That stark difference suggests James could still have several productive years ahead before his performance matches those late-career stats.
NBA insider Marc Stein seems to agree, sharing that it’s unlikely James will wrap up his career right after the upcoming season.
“I believe that the 2025-26 season, purely speaking in a predictive voice, will not be LeBron’s last,” Stein said. “I repeat: This is something only he can really know and more of a gut-feel read from me rather than reporting, but I fall into the camp that expects him to announce to the world that a certain season will be his last before it starts.”
“The reality is that training camps don’t open leaguewide for two full months from now, so some patience must be applied to have a clearer picture, but to this point there has been no indication that James has begun thinking in one-more-year terms,” Stein added. “Not yet anyway.”
His observation rings true. If James were really planning to retire after the upcoming season, he likely would have announced it by now and started a farewell tour. Since he hasn’t, it’s reasonable to think his career will continue past 2025-26.
That leaves a bigger question: will James finish his NBA journey with the Lakers, or will he aim to join another contender to chase a fifth championship? Only time will tell what lies ahead for the NBA legend.
