After the Los Angeles Lakers’ magic carpet ride this spring ended with a sweep in the Western Conference finals, LeBron James strongly suggested he might step away from basketball this summer.
Few people believed he would actually do so. In fact, executive Rob Pelinka recently said the superstar is already putting in work to get ready for his 21st season.
The Lakers certainly had a successful free agency this offseason. They retained Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell on reasonable contracts while adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince and Jaxson Hayes. One would think such signings would prevent James from stepping away.
Indeed, during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio and Frank Isola, Rich Paul, James’ agent, said that two weeks after L.A. was knocked out of the playoffs, the four-time MVP sent a text and said he was motivated to keep playing in the NBA (h/t Silver Screen and Roll).
“He’s one guy that I’m not going to say no about”
Rich Paul is asked if he thinks LeBron could play until he’s 44 or 45 years old@RichPaul4 @TheFrankIsola @sarahkustok pic.twitter.com/3Mz3ayHSbR
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 11, 2023
“Then you saw how he ended the season and him making the comment (about) having a lot to think about and then, two weeks later, he’s texting me cause he’s motivated to get back out there.”
Paul also said it is possible that James continues to play until he is 44 or 45 years of age, as long as he stays healthy and maintains his excitement for the game.
With the way James takes care of his body, it may not be surprising to see him play at an All-Star level in his early 40s, as Tom Brady managed to do in the NFL.
