Heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, there was a lot of speculation about LeBron James’ future and what his mindset was about retirement and possibly playing his last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, since he’s playing the last year of his contract.
Even though the writing seems to be on the wall in Los Angeles in terms of James playing his last season with the storied Lakers franchise, it remains uncertain whether he’ll call it a career after the 2025-26 campaign or sign with another team as an unrestricted free agent.
James refuses to address his future beyond this season, and he is likely to maintain that stance moving forward. However, he seems to be dropping hints, whether intended or not, about what the future holds for him.
LeBron James Seems Closer to Retirement Than Ever Before
On Thursday, the Lakers dodged a bullet, holding off Keyonte George and the Utah Jazz on the road at the Delta Center. Things seemed to be trending in the wrong direction, especially after JJ Redick’s squad gave him a season-high 78 points in the first half.
After the game, James was asked about George and the All-Star-caliber level the young guard is playing at the moment, as he dropped a team-high 34 points on Los Angeles, who had no answer for the rising star. James gave an unexpected answer, which may suggest that he’s checked out and is nearing retirement more than people thought, via Brickcenter’s X account.
Reporter: “You think Keyonte George is playing at an all star level this season?”
LeBron James: “I’m the wrong guy to ask that question. All I do is watch YouTube Golf these days.”
The end is near 😭 pic.twitter.com/mKeqrscZtI
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) December 19, 2025
“I’m the wrong guy to ask that question,” James said. “All I do is watch YouTube Golf these days, so I’m the wrong guy to ask about that. He played great. He played great the last time we played him. Playing good ball versus us, but yeah, I’m on to Bryan Bros, Grant Horvat, Bryson Dechambeau and the rest of those guys.”
Throughout James’ NBA career, he’s prided himself on watching games while paying attention to rising stars like George. James claims to be a basketball fanatic who can’t get enough of the league that he’s dominated for over two decades.
That said, James openly answering a question like this about another star player is odd and perhaps a bit telling in terms of where his mindset is at this point in his career. He definitely seems a bit disengaged and interested in other things, such as golf, which many retired and current players tend to take up as an off-court hobby.
Many notable players in the league enjoy playing golf in their free time, including James’ Lakers teammate Austin Reaves and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
James was even seen practicing his golf swing during a game recently, which prompted a lot of jokes on social media and led some to believe he’s ready to call it a career.
