LeBron James has yet to commit to a timeline for when he might retire, and there are apparently some people who believe he could continue his career outside of the NBA.
James will turn 41 this upcoming season. He is facing an uncertain future with the Los Angeles Lakers after exercising $52.6 million player option. It would hardly be shocking if he decided to retire after playing one more year given his age, but he has continued to play at an elite level.
Brian Windhorst discussed LeBron’s future during the latest episode of “The Hoop Collective” podcast, which was released on Tuesday. The ESPN reporter said he has heard rumblings that James could consider “playing in other leagues.”
“I can’t speak to where he’s at spiritually about wanting to play longer. What I can tell you is his play on the court is not indicating somebody who’s near retirement,” Windhorst said. “He’s gotta want to do it. He’s gotta put his body through it, all of that stuff. I keep hearing people like, ‘This might be the last year. This might be the last year.’
“Look, he’s been linked to potentially playing in other leagues. I don’t know, maybe. But if he stays healthy, I do not see LeBron James slowing down. Maybe he’s tired of doing it, but I do not see LeBron James slowing down that much.”
Windhorst did not specify which leagues LeBron would consider playing in. It seems highly unlikely that the four-time NBA champion would want to play in Europe at age 41, especially with money not being a consideration.
The Lakers view Luka Doncic as their future, even with LeBron having averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game last season. Doncic is 26 and one of NBA’s biggest stars, so it makes sense that L.A. wants to focus on building around him.
That said, there have been signs that James is not happy with how the Lakers have treated him over the past year. If he were to decide he wants to leave L.A., several different options would likely be on the table.
