While star seems to be kryptonite to father time, the future Hall of Famer knows his career won't last forever. And apparently, the end of James's illustrious
NBA career may be closer than most truly believe. James discussed how long he'll play in the NBA as he winds down season No. 21 at the age of 39. As HoopsHype's Michael Scotto detailed, of sorts, telling reporters that his remaining time in the NBA won't be "very long" and that he doesn't have much time left. “Not very long. I’m on the other side of the heel. I’m not going to play another 21 years. That’s for damn sure. Not very long. I don’t know when that door will close as far as when I retire, but I don’t have much time left." —
LeBron James LeBron James Continues Dominant Play at Age 39 It's an eye-opening statement from James, who'll turn 40 in December. But even as James approaches 40 years old and has played in 1,485 regular-season games alone, his numbers don't show much in terms of him slowing down. Through 64 games this season, James averages 25.2 points, 8.1 assists, 7.3 rebounds and is
shooting 53 percent from the field along with 40.1 percent from three-point range. His overall field goal percentage is the highest it's been since the 2017-18 season with the . If the season were to end today, one of the most overlooked but impressive aspects of James's season is his three-point shooting. While he's averaging fewer attempts than in recent years, his shooting percentage from beyond the arc is the highest it's been since the 2012-13 season. That year marked the only other of his career in which he topped 40 percent from three-point range. Lakers' 2023-24 NBA Playoff Outlook Although James continues to play at an exceptionally high level and Anthony Davis has put together another All-Star season, the Lakers have found themselves lingering around play-in tournament territory in the standings most of the year. While they're 42-33 currently, the Lakers hold the No. 9 seed in the West, but are just 3.5 games back of the and for the five and six seeds in the West. However, James and company have two other very good teams in the and still standing in their way of avoiding the play-in tournament. The Western Conference is loaded with potential dark horse contenders alongside many of the biggest favorites to win the title. But based on talent alone, and the run the Lakers made to the Western Conference Finals last year as a No. 7 seed, it's hard to bet against them in any matchup as the postseason draws near.