LeBron James made his first public statement about his future as a 40-year-old NBA player, hinting that he could continue playing at a high level for several more years.
“If I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for about another five to seven years, if I wanted to,” James said as reported by Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “But I’m not going to do that.”
James, now in his 22nd season, expressed his desire to finish his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. “That would be the plan,” he added. “I came here to play the last stage of my career and to finish it off here.”
Despite his strong commitment to the Lakers, James acknowledged the realities of the NBA business. “I’m not too jaded to know the business of basketball,” he said. “But I think my relationship with this organization speaks for itself.”
The four-time NBA champion has been with the Lakers since 2018 and has led the team to a championship in 2020. This season, he is averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 9 assists per game.
As of now, the Lakers are seventh in the Western Conference with an 18-13 record. James, who is in the first year of a two-year, $101.4 million deal with the Lakers, has a player option for the second year.
