As the 2025-26 NBA season approached, speculation swirled around LeBron James and his future with the Los Angeles Lakers. Cryptic messages from his agent, Rich Paul, only fueled the uncertainty leading up to media day in late September, leaving fans wondering about the King’s true intentions.
Then, the situation grew more complicated. News surfaced that James was dealing with sciatica, an issue that had been nagging him for more than two months before the season opener on October 21. This revelation intensified questions about not only his future with the Lakers but also whether he would even get the chance to retire with the storied franchise.
How Much Longer Does LeBron James Have Left?
Numerous media personalities have offered their predictions on when James will officially retire, but few of them have a personal connection to the future Hall of Famer. However, someone who knows him well has now weighed in.
Three-time NBA champion Danny Green, who played with James on both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the championship-winning 2020 Lakers team, believes his former teammate has one more season left. In a one-on-one interview, he shared his perspective with DJ Siddiqi of Forbes.com.
“Maybe one more year,” Green said. “Depending on how his body reacts, I know sciatica is no joke. I’ve seen some people, my coach had it in college, and coach (Roy) Williams might have had sciatica. Depending on how bad it is, it can really mess you up. I know if his body’s telling him, I wouldn’t be surprised halfway through the year he’s saying, ‘This is my last year.’ But if not this year, he’s got one more year. I think he retires a Laker.”
As he continues to recover from the injury, James has yet to make his season debut, missing all 11 games played so far. However, his return appears to be getting closer, as he began practicing this week in five-on-five sessions with the team’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Although James has been ruled out for the remaining three games of the Lakers’ current five-game road trip, which continues Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he could make his debut when the team returns home. The target date appears to be Nov. 18, when Los Angeles is set to host the Utah Jazz.
MORE: Lakers Star LeBron James Takes Huge Step In Injury Recovery After Lengthy Absence
If he does return against the Jazz on Tuesday, the soon-to-be 40-year-old forward will have missed 14 games to start the 2025-26 campaign. That absence is relatively harmless, though, considering the team is off to an impressive 8-3 start ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Thunder.
This success has sparked considerable debate about how James’s return will impact the team’s chemistry. It will be interesting to see how things change for the Lakers once he returns to the floor, especially since they are already playing well with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the charge for Los Angeles.
