After missing the first 14 games of the 2025-26 NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James seems to be back to form, coming off his best game of the campaign, dropping a season-high 29 points in the win against the Philadelphia 76ers on the road on Sunday. His early struggles returning from sciatica fueled talk that his career might be winding down. With Father Time being undefeated, the reality of James’ eventual retirement is starting to hit players across the league, including Boston star Jayson Tatum.
Jayson Tatum Opens Up About the Eventual Retirement of LeBron James
During an appearance on the Morris Code Show with Markief and Marcus Morris, Tatum shared his thoughts on what it will be like when James retires.
Jayson Tatum on LeBron James 👑
“A whole generation of kids… All they know is LeBron in the league. They don’t know nothing else.. I bet it was crazy when y’all seen MJ retire… It’s probably the same effect” pic.twitter.com/mIXV8ZA1Vr
— Morris Code Show (@TheMorrisCode2) December 8, 2025
“It’s a generation of kids that all they know is LeBron in the league,” Tatum said. “So they don’t know nothing else.
“People been saying for the last six years, ‘This is his last year.’ He’s probably got a year or two left. I bet it was crazy when y’all seen Michael [Jordan] retire and finally leave the league. It’s probably the same effect when Bron leaves. There’s going to be a void that a couple people are going to have to try to fill together.”
As for right now, there’s no telling when James will call it a career, as this current NBA season doesn’t appear to be his last. However, it could be his last with the Lakers, as rumors have started to swirl that the two sides could part ways after the 2025-26 campaign, with the superstar’s contract set to expire.
In the meantime, the Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the league, with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves having career years. Los Angeles is sporting a record of 17-6, which is tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets while trailing the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the best record in the league at 23-1.
Although there’s a lot of basketball left to be played during the regular season, the Lakers have definitely made quite an impression and look like a legitimate title contender in the West and perhaps a threat to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.
The next matchup for the Lakers will be an NBA Cup showdown against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The winner will advance to the semifinals, which will be played in Las Vegas, Nevada.
