LeBron James' former Lakers teammate ties 4x NBA champion's retirement to 1 crucial future move: "Once he does that he’s retiring then”
LeBron James has teased retirement in recent years, but a former teammate revealed something he hopes to accomplish before calling it quits. “King James” is entering his 22nd season in the NBA and will turn 40 this year.
This season, LeBron has the opportunity to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny James, fulfilling a long-time dream he's often mentioned. The two already played alongside each other during preseason.
However, Isaiah Thomas, who shared the court with LeBron for 19 games — 15 with the Cavaliers and four with the Lakers — shared that “The King” would likely retire after playing with his second son, Bryce James.
“What’s gonna be even crazier is when Bron plays with Bryce too.. Once he does that he’s retiring then lol. Now everything will be complete and ride off in the sunset 🤝🏾,” Thomas said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Retirement rumors began circulating after the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-23 playoffs.
Despite the speculation, LeBron signed a two-year extension with the Lakers ahead of the 2022-23 season, which included a player option for 2024-25.
He has since opted out of that deal and signed a new two-year contract with the Lakers, with a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Which NBA longevity records could LeBron James break next?
LeBron James has continued to dominate deep into his career. In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from three-point range and 75.0% from the free-throw line.
LeBron is on the verge of tying Vince Carter’s record of playing in the NBA for 22 seasons. By comparison, Carter averaged just 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in his final year across 60 games.
In February 2023, LeBron surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. By March 2024, he made history again by becoming the first player to reach 40,000 career points.
Although LeBron will turn 40 in December, he won't be the oldest player in NBA history. That title belongs to Nat Hickey, who played until he was 44 years and 363 days old.
The top five oldest NBA players include Kevin Willis at 44 years and 224 days, Robert Parish at 43 years and 254 days, Vince Carter at 43 years and 45 days and Dikembe Mutombo at 42 years and 300 days.
To break into the top 10, LeBron James would need to play two more seasons, as John Stockton currently holds the 10th spot, having played until he was 41 years and 35 days old.