Rich Paul gives notable prediction about LeBron James’ future

Apr 4, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts to being called for a foul against the Utah Jazz in the last minute of the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James’ right-hand man can see this thing continuing well into the latter part of the decade.

Rich Paul, close friend and agent of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar James, appeared this week on SiriusXM NBA Radio. During the appearance, Paul predicted that James could play until he is 44 or 45 years old.

“Five or six more years? Listen, he’s one guy that I’m not gonna say no about,” said Paul. “I think it’s important to understand what really motivates him. I know it. Obviously, I have been around … As long as his mind is there, as long as he’s still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely [he can play that long].”

You can listen to the full clip of Paul’s comments here.

The four-time champion James is 39 years old now and just completed his 20th NBA season. But he is still performing at an incredible level, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game last year as he got the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals.

James will obviously (and understandably) miss some time here and there with injuries at his age (he has not hit the 60-game mark in any of the last three seasons). His motivation could also wane if and when he achieves his goal of playing in the NBA with son Bronny, who is draft-eligible next year. But if nothing else, Paul’s remarks prove that the talk of James supposedly retiring this summer was all a bunch of nonsense.