After the Los Angeles Lakers bowed out in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron James went silent about his basketball future. At 40 years old and with 22 seasons under his belt, speculation around retirement has hit fever pitch—but this time, LeBron’s playing it close to the chest.
In the past, the four-time NBA champion openly discussed waiting to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny James. But now, the conversation has shifted to another possible motivator for LeBron’s extended stay: Bryce James.
On Thursday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, NBA insider Shams Charania floated the idea that LeBron might extend his career again—this time to potentially share the court with Bryce, who just signed with the University of Arizona.
“If he feels that, at some point next year, Bryce James might be an NBA player… does he extend that window?” Charania mused. “I think that’s the only potential caveat out there that could keep LeBron James even longer than at least one more year.”
Bryce, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard and three-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon, will be draft-eligible in 2026, when he turns 19. If he goes one-and-done at Arizona, the timeline could align perfectly for a rare father-son showdown or duo in the NBA.
Beyond family milestones, Charania also pointed to some symbolic and sentimental reasons for LeBron to stick around:
“You think about next year, 2025–26. It’ll be Year 23, that’ll set a league record. Year 23 for number 23. The All-Star Game is in Los Angeles. He’s potentially playing in Los Angeles.” All signs point to LeBron returning next season. But after that? The future is cloudy.
The LeBron James–Luka Doncic Duo Still Has Another Chapter
While questions swirl about when LeBron James might walk away, veteran analyst Colin Cowherd believes fans shouldn’t worry about this upcoming season. According to Cowherd, LeBron is locked in, especially with Luka Dončić reportedly joining him in L.A.
“Are you gonna tell me he’s not gonna come back for Luka, who will probably be in, if not great shape, better shape?” Cowherd said on The Herd. “LeBron is coming back.”
That potential LeBron–Luka pairing has fans buzzing and could give the Lakers one final supercharged run before the King makes any exit decisions.
As it stands, LeBron’s next move remains a mystery—possibly even to himself. Whether it’s playing alongside Bryce, making history in Year 23, or chasing one last ring with Luka, the league isn’t done with LeBron James just yet. And as always, when the time is up, it’ll be the King who decides.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
