LeBron James is in the twilight of his career. At 41, he is the NBA’s oldest active player and the only one to have competed in 23 seasons.
While he may still look like a strong player, there’s no denying that wear and tear is affecting his body at this stage of his career. With that said, an NBA insider shed some light regarding the Los Angeles Lakers’ plan for James’ minutes moving forward.
LeBron James’ Playing Time With the Lakers May Be Adjusted Soon
Since coming back from his sciatic injury, James has looked fantastic on the court. It’s as if he didn’t miss a step. LeBron is efficiently supporting his new co-star, Luka Dončić, averaging 21.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds.
While James’ numbers may look slightly lower compared to his previous seasons, it’s only because his start to the 2025-26 season focused more on giving way to Dončić and Austin Reaves. However, with Reaves out due to a grade 2 strain of his left gastrocnemius muscle, James had to step up once again and help Dončić on offense.
At 41, James’ body can only withstand so much of the physical demands of the NBA. Insider Dave McMenamin reported that the Lakers plan to monitor how James responds in back‑to‑back games. While James continues to look strong, his age raises questions about whether he can consistently maintain a high level of play.
According to McMenamin, the Lakers will observe how James’ body responds in back-to-back games. So far, LeBron is looking fine, but that doesn’t mean he can play at a high level on a consistent basis at his age.
“The term that the Lakers keep using is ‘uncharted territory’ when it comes to LeBron,” McMenamin reported. “He’s the oldest player in the league at 41. He’s the only player ever to play in 23 seasons.
“So he’s going to play tonight in New Orleans, and sources tell me (the Lakers) are going to take it game by game. See how his body feels. That is a step forward from what he’s been through thus far this season, when they just ruled out back-to-backs when he was coming back from the sciatica injury.”
“Sources tell me they’re gonna take it game by game and see how his body feels” – @mcten on Lebron playing in back to backs pic.twitter.com/mBXtiIeqRc
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 6, 2026
With the way James has been playing so far, at least for now, it does not seem like fans have anything to worry about regarding his availability on the court.