Los Angeles Lakers fans have had a sneaking suspicion for quite some time that this could be LeBron James' last season in a Laker uniform. As time goes on, that possibility only seems increasingly likely, and ESPN's Tim MacMahon served to remind everyone of that on a recent episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.
"LeBron used to be a great defender, LeBron's 41 years old and knows this is probably it for him in LA," McMahon said. "And he's frankly not going to exhaust any energy on that end of the floor."
With this statement, MacMahon only added fuel to the fire when it comes to the rumors that LeBron may be either retiring or planning to leave the Lakers after this season. He also pointed out that while James is still around in the Purple and Gold, fans in LA can't expect him to be a big defensive contributor.
This is just the reality of the LeBron experience in 2026. No one is quite sure what he has up his sleeve or inside his head when it comes to the topic of retirement. Whenever he does get asked about it, he's sure to remain mysterious and not give a straight answer. And of course, it's hard to blame him for taking that approach.
MacMahon reminded everyone of who LeBron James is in 2026
There are signs that this could be his last season in the NBA. Recently, the league announced that he'd wear a special "Year 23" patch for the rest of the games this season. This makes sense when you consider that he's the first player to ever play 23 seasons, but it could also be indicative of a grand exit as well.
As it pertains to the defense piece, MacMahon is not wrong in his analysis, either. James' defensive output has been a weak point in recent seasons, but it's been especially noticeable in this year's campaign. Lakers fans know what this version of LeBron looks like, and it's nothing close to a strong defensive contributor.
Of course, this is just the reality of being 41 and playing this many seasons in the greatest basketball league on earth. No one would expect LeBron to still be performing at a high level defensively while still putting up numbers on offense in year 23.
What MacMahon described is, in short, the reality of having LeBron James on your team in 2026. He's got one of the best resumes of all-time, but no one would deny that he's not who he once was, and that he's very likely on the way out the door of the Lakers organization.