On July 12, LeBron James finally ended speculation regarding a potential retirement. During an appearance at the ESPYs, the legendary forward revealed that he would be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. At age 38, there’s no definitive timeline on how much longer LeBron will grace an NBA floor.
The good news is that LeBron continues to perform at an elite level and remains one of the best players in the NBA. However, time will eventually catch up to LeBron the same way it does to all of us. Nevertheless, Darvin Ham, who was speaking on a July 13 Sirius XM Radio appearance, revealed his belief that LeBron could play until he was 50.
“At this age, what he is doing is unprecedented,” Ham said. “Hopefully, he has a few more years to come, but if there is anybody that can do it, he can play until he is probably 50. Just the way he takes care of himself, his nutrition, his sleep habits, the regimen, everything he does pre-work, during the work, post-work, his regimen, everything he does to make himself not just available, but elite.”
LeBron has been vocal about his desire to play with his son Bronny James before calling time on his career. Assuming he can remain healthy, LeBron will likely hold out to see out the final goal he has remaining in his illustrious NBA career.
Fortunately, LeBron has shown very little signs of slowing down. Despite dealing with a foot injury last season, LeBron remained a potent threat on both sides of the ball. During 55 regular-season appearances, LeBron averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, shooting 50% from the field and 32.1% from 3-Point range.
The Lakers will be hoping that having LeBron in their rotation next season will give them an opportunity to challenge for a championship after their hopes were cut short last season courtesy of a Western Conference Finals sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
