LeBron James is about to turn 41 during the 2025-26 campaign as he gets ready to enter his 23rd season in the NBA. Even though he is naturally not at the peak of his powers, he is still playing like an All-NBA caliber player capable of carrying his team to postseason glory with the right pieces around him. However, he has yet to make a decision on whether this season will be his last.
NBA insider and long-time LeBron James reporter Brian Windhorst revealed a surprise potential path for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar after his NBA career. In his appearance on ESPN, Windhorst said, "This might be the last year. Look, he's been linked to potentially playing in other leagues. I don't know. Maybe. But if he stays healthy, I do not see LeBron James slowing down."
This would be a surprising development for LeBron James' career. While Windhorst didn't specify what "other leagues" he's referring to, it's not hard to connect the dots.
LeBron James Could Retire from the NBA After Next Season to Play in Another League
James' business manager, Maverick Carter, is reportedly trying to start a new basketball league. ESPN's Shams Charania had confirmed a Bloomberg report from earlier this year that Carter was working on raising $5 billion to create an international basketball league that would rival the NBA. While James' involvement in the project has not been public so far, these comments from Windhorst raise some eyebrows.
Carter and James have worked on several projects together, and the two remain very close in the superstar's business dealings. A project as ambitious as challenging the NBA would obviously benefit greatly from LeBron's involvement. Whether this comes to fruition, however, remains to be seen.
In the meantime, LeBron is only under contract with the Lakers for another season. The four-time MVP notably picked up his player option for next season after failing to come to a long-term agreement with the Lakers.
There have been rumors about a potential rift between the two sides after LA failed to be aggressive in the offseason to build a championship-caliber team. The Lakers' top brass's preference to maintain future flexibility around Luka Doncic is said to cause an issue with LeBron James, who has a much shorter championship window.
It's currently unclear whether James would actually retire from the NBA to play in his friend's new basketball league. Until we know for sure what his plans beyond 2026 are, the speculations will not cease.