After the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs in the First Round, there’s been rampant speculation about LeBron James’ playing future.
A 21-year NBA veteran that’s been in the league longer than many of his younger peers have been alive, James has essentially dedicated his life to the sport. Even after James retires, he’ll still be around, likely angling for team ownership. Nonetheless, it’ll be a sad day for the basketball world when he decides to hang up his jersey.
Addressing James’ playing future, his agent —Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul —joined the SiriusXM NBA Radio show with longtime NBA reporter Frank Isola and player-turned-commentator Brian Scalabrine.
Rich Paul Opines On How Much Longer LeBron James Will Play
According to Paul, James won’t be in the league much longer. However, he’s inclined to believe that the 39-year-old isn’t quite done yet.
“You know, I believe so,” Paul says when asked if James will return next season.
“The guy has committed more than half of his life to the game of basketball”@KlutchSports Founder & CEO, Rich Paul, discussed LeBron’s future when he joined @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine 👀#NBAPlayoffs | @RichPaul4 pic.twitter.com/AZkLP1gGGf
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 29, 2024
“I think we definitely have less years with LJ than we’ve already been able to enjoy…,” he continues.
On His Shield
“Look the guy has committed more than half of his life to the game of basketball,” Paul muses.
“I think he’s treated it with the utmost respect and been someone to give back to the game. I think we put the pressures on him differently than other people and the expectations ever since he was 18 years old… And he was still able to position himself and succeed.
Obviously, he was the first athlete —the first NBA player —to kind of quote-unquote ‘I’ma do what I want to do.’ And I don’t think people necessarily like that…”
Paul is intimately familiar with James’ life, far past the typical player-agent relationship. That said, he isn’t defending James’ honor just because of their friendship.
“I’m LeBron’s biggest critic, by the way,” Paul says.
“When I have an issue, especially on the basketball court, I go get in front of him and we talk about it… Because I actually know the game. I don’t just look at stats and tell you how great you were the next morning. I understand if you did something right or wrong…”
To Paul’s point, James has been maligned for two main reasons over the course of his career.
The first is his performance in the playoffs, whether fair or foul. These are the expectations that Paul alluded to. Compared to NBA legend Michael Jordan before he was even drafted, James is one of the few athletes expected to win championships early and often.
The second is his contribution to the player empowerment or superteam era.
To be clear, James isn’t the originator of superteams, which have been around since the league’s inception. He’s not the first star player to want to team up with other upper echelon players either. However, he’s the first player to treat the NBA like he was playing Franchise Mode on 2K, hand-selecting his teammates in an effort to put together a championship-level roster. As a result, James is arguably the first player-GM in NBA history.
Four rings later, it’s hard to argue with the results.
Nonetheless, many James’ individual accomplishments seemed bound to happen regardless. With his consistency and longevity, the only obstacle to him becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer was durability. Before joining the Miami Heat, James had already won two MVP awards and had five straight top-five finishes in MVP voting.
When James retires, plenty of people will say they don’t like how he changed the league. Even more will downplay his success. Yet, when James goes out, it’ll be on his shield.
A true warrior and commander, the honor with which James approached his duties should be praised. There have been few better leaders in the locker room, on the court, or in the community. For him to have entered the league at 18 and become that type of man is as important as anything he’s accomplished on the hardwood.
‘Two or Three Years’
“To answer your question,” Paul says, “I don’t know how long we see him…”
“My conversation with him is just have fun. Just enjoy it because you got a lot less years to play than you’ve already played. So just enjoy the ride man. It’s been a beautiful ride… I think when it’s all said and done, there’ll be a bunch of people with a thousand stories of what he meant to the game…
“He’s had an unbelievable career,” Paul continues. “I think we do see him next year. The ‘how many more’ after that, I do not know. But I think he got maybe two or three years left in the tank. Maybe, you know.”
James retiring around the time he’s 42 years old is pretty feasible considering how well he’s still playing. To that point, it’s unlikely that James will want to be on the court if he isn’t performing at a high level. With all due respect, he isn’t a Vince Carter type that’ll play until the wheels fall off.
That said, if James is going to play two or three more years, his next contract could be his last.
A potential free agent this offseason, James will have the option of re-signing with the Lakers or moving on. Having played for three franchises in his storied career, there’s little doubt that James has already considered the latter, especially with his relative lack of postseason success in LA. His son deciding to transfer from USC could also factor into his decision to stay in Southern California.
However, there’s always the chance James remains with the Lakers. He’s grown close with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, All-Star big man Anthony Davis, and fan favorite Austin Reaves. Furthermore, their star-gazing front office is looking to make a blockbuster trade this offseason.
