LeBron James stepped into unprecedented territory when he laced up for his 23rd season in the NBA. And with Shams Charania’s latest intel, it looks retirement is not on the cards.
The 41-year-old surpassed Vince Carter’s 22 seasons in the league when he donned the Los Angeles Lakers jersey for the 2025-26 season. Amid rumors of calling time on his illustrious career and finding a new team next season, James is now expected to play another season.
LeBron James Leaves Fans Guessing On Long-Term Career Plans
Speaking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Charania said James was undecided on his retirement plans and that the NBA world would see him play another season.
“LeBron hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s going to continue to play. I think the feeling around LeBron James around the league is he’s going to go at least one more season.”
“How does their season end? How does his season end? How is his health? How is he feeling? Mentally, emotionally, and all that. But, did we see that dive?… To me, this shows where he’s at as a player,” Charania added.
“His acts of being really willing to do anything. It’s self-awareness. We’ve seen him at different parts of the season when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves play really well together. Then, Luka Dončić and LeBron James play really well together.”
“LeBron hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s going to continue to play. I think the feeling around LeBron James around the league is he’s going to go at least one more season.”
—@ShamsCharania on LeBron’s future 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Mc6WapQxiZ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 16, 2026
On his part, James had earlier stated that he remains undecided about his future. Speaking to the reporters during the 2026 All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, the four-time NBA champion.
“I want to live,” he told reporters before the All-Star Game, per Yahoo! Sports. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”
James continues to perform at a high level, even at an advanced stage of his career. This season, injuries have hampered his playing time, but the veteran forward is averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds through 46 games.
It wasn’t an ideal start for James after he missed the first 14 games with Sciatica. He later had a series of injuries in the form of foot arthritis, a bruised hip, and a sore elbow. This has seen him miss 21 games this season.
It’s worth noting that he exercised his $52.6 million player option ahead of the start of the season. Should James play another season and decide to take his talents elsewhere, he will be one of the most sought-after unrestricted free agents.
While his future remains a topic of conversation, James and the Lakers will focus on capping off their impressive season with a title. Up next, the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Monday (March. 16).
