"I’m LeBron’s biggest critic" - LeBron James' agent clears air on rumors around Lakers star's future in NBA
Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports and LeBron James' agent, recently spoke with NBA Radio on SiriusXM regarding his client. During his interview, Paul addressed the various speculations surrounding how many more years the LA Lakers star has left in the league.
Paul shared his belief that James will remain in the NBA next season before discussing the success that the four-time MVP has enjoyed in his career despite the pressure he's had since day one.
Rich Paul also credited LeBron James as the first NBA athlete to be able to do what he wants to do and still find the level of success he has. He then compared athletes and scientists, saying that if scientists were asked to do what athletes do, which is to simply follow in the footsteps of the greats, then we wouldn't have the same advancements that we have now.
"I think it's OK to allow somebody to be who they are," Paul said after he compared athletes to scientists, "and I'm not saying that biasedly because I'm LeBron's biggest critic, by the way. When I have an issue, especially on the basketball court, I go get in front of him and we talk about it."
Addressing the star's future, Paul said:
"I think he has two-three years left in the tank maybe."
After talking about LeBron James' greatness, Rich Paul once again shared what he thinks his client's NBA future looks like. He admitted that LeBron did not have long but that he probably had two to three more years left in the league before retiring.
Also read: NBA insider predicts LeBron James not proclaiming retirement rumors if Lakers' playoffs stint ends today
LeBron James will get a chance to play with both his sons if he remains at least 3 more years in the NBA
LeBron James wants to try to play with his son, Bronny James, before retiring. Everyone knows this, and everyone thinks that what transpires in the NBA's 2024 draft will affect where LeBron plays next.
Right now, there is no real assurance that a team will take Bronny in the draft or that he'll get picked up as an unrestricted free agent should he go undrafted. Regardless of what happens, his declaration for the NBA draft just brought James' dream one step closer to reality.
Another scenario for the James family is for Bryce James to enter the NBA and play with, or against, his father and brother.
Bryce will be a high school senior in 2024-25. With the NBA's rules on eligibility, he can enter the league in the 2026 draft as soon as he plays one year of college ball in 2025-26. If Rich Paul is right and James plays until the 2026-27 NBA season, he'll get to see both his sons enter while he is still playing. If that happens, James might even get the chance to play with both his sons.
Of course, a lot could happen between now and 2026. Bryce could choose a different path and not join the NBA at all. Bronny could choose to remain in college. Or both Bryce and Bronny could make it into the league while their father is still active but not get the opportunity to be on a team with him.
Also read: 3 reasons why Lakers should pass on drafting Bronny James at #17 in 2024 NBA Draft