Where was Michael Jordan at age 42? Three years removed from his Wizards stint and very far away from being a top-25 NBA player, which LeBron James still is, and in all likelihood still will be in December when James hits the age-42 mark.
And while LeBron's longevity has already boosted his GOAT argument in recent years, that longevity now has dollar figures attached to it that ground it in real, tangible value.
LeBron James is still seen as a max player (or close) in today's NBA
LeBron's impressive 2025-26 season and even more impressive playoff showing have NBA people convinced he's still basically a max player. In fact, ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported a few days ago that multiple league insiders at the NBA combine in Chicago suggested that James warrants "as much money as he wants" in free agency this summer.
Is part of that limitless asking price related to LeBron's ceiling-less marketability and revenue gravity? Of course. But it's also basketball-related. LeBron isn't just a hobbled ticket-seller who is a shadow of his former self. He is a ticket-seller, but he's also still an All-NBA-level player who can help you win a playoff series (see: best player in the Rockets-Lakers first-round series).
There's a reason insiders and executives are still talking about LeBron like a max player, and it's the same reason the Lakers might royally screw up all of their cap space this summer: LeBron still deserves a boatload of money to play NBA basketball ... because he's still a superstar.
LeBron still might take a cheaper deal to help Lakers, despite lofty value
James doesn't need to sign a big deal to convince people around the NBA that he's worth one. Buzz from the combine proved that. This had Bontemps wondering whether LeBron might be willing to take a deal in the realm of the midlevel exception (just north of $15 million), although that's probably way too low. Something like $25 million or $30 million is about as low as I can imagine LeBron stooping to following another All-Star season.
But let's also step back and forget about the immediate ramifications of LeBron's contract negotiations for a second and realize that this situation itself forms a new kind of GOAT argument for Bron. No one in the league has ever been valued this highly for basketball reasons at age 41 or 42. Whichever team gives James a deal this summer, they'll be banking on LeBron being one of the league's best players at an age that fans have never imagined was possible.
We've all been talking in generalities about LeBron's longevity, but money talks, and this summer, it'll speak loudly about James' superiority against any other historical comparison. Even if Bron ultimately chooses to take a team-friendly deal, we'll know that he's worth a lot more than that, not to mention a lot more than any NBA player's ever been at this age.
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