More often than not, athletes are forced to retire from the game they love because of their bodies no longer serving them in a sustainable enough form that allows them to keep doing what they love. However, this is LeBron James we are talking about.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has been the model of athleticism, durability, and longevity throughout his NBA career. With every passing season, James continues to challenge concepts about what a player of his age should be capable of.
To those who have followed James throughout the entirety of his historic career, it is obvious that the version of him playing today is a step down from the athletic freak that played in his prime. However, that step down is still a more impressive player than the majority of the league.
At 40 years old, fans cannot help but wonder how much is left in the tank for the all-time great. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul made it abundantly clear that any future decision regarding a potential retirement has a hurdle much more important than the physical for James.
James' biggest obstacle to continuing his career will be mental
LeBron's agent joined The Rich Eisen Show to speak to a variety of different topics. Naturally, plenty of talking points regarding Paul's biggest client were bound to pop up. This included that of his NBA future.
"I think physically, he can play several more years," James' agent told Rich Eisen. "I think it's where you're at mentally. With all these guys, I think we put so much on the individual, but there's a lot of layers to success as an individual."
That right there really paints the picture, doesn't it? Paul explains well that James' biggest opponent will be his own mind. That is often a drastically underrated part of the retirement process.
It is doubtful to most that James would call it a career now, after the success of his 2024-25 campaign, and the optimistic future in Los Angeles surrounding the pairing of himself and Luka Doncic. However, there are cracks in the armor worth paying attention to.
How much longer does the four-time champion want to endure the punditry that surrounds his career from those who use it as a platform for their own?
Everyone saw the moment between LeBron and Stephen A. Smith this season after the ESPN personality took things too far with his commentary on Bronny James. The 21-time All-Star was unapologetic in his handling of the situation.
James has deal with the most media coverage and scrutiny of any NBA player in recent history, possibly of all time. No one is questioning the four-time MVP's ability to manage it. However, it is worth wondering how much longer the desire to keep doing so will exist.