Career countdown? 40-year-old James responded to retirement: Retirement is coming, but that day has not yet arrived yet

September 19, recently, James talked about retirement on the show. He said: Retirement is coming, but that day has not yet arrived.

Speaking of the end of his career, James said he was at a "turning point" and made it clear that he would not play for many years: "I will never play for 23 years, nor will I play for 10 more years. Year. Every time I start trying something new, it doesn't mean I'm going to retire. Retirement is coming, it's approaching, but it's not that day yet.

In this offseason, James executed his $52.6 million player option, and still has the trading margin and trade veto. James stayed behind the Lakers and will start his 23rd season of his career in the 2025-26 season. He will become the longest river in the NBA and the only player in history to play for at least 23 years.

Recently, there have been many topics about James' retirement. Anonymous executives in the league said that James also wants to play in the NBA with Bryce. Unless his form declines sharply or the Lakers win the championship, I think James will play until the 2026-27 season.

Lakers reporter Ashish Mathur said that if James does not retire, it is expected that the Cavaliers, Mavericks and Warriors will pursue him next summer; ESPN reporter Winkhorst said that the new season may be the last year James played in the NBA, and he may go to the new league to play.

James' size and competitive state are still very good. Last season, he played 70 regular season games for the Lakers, averaging 34.9 minutes per game and scored 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1 steal; there is no doubt that as long as he continues to compete, his ultimate goal will be the championship. Can James win the fifth championship in his career before retirement? Let's wait and see.