2026 Could Be The Final Year Of LeBron James' Career, Says Top Reporter

LeBron James entered the NBA way back in 2003 as the No. 1 overall pick, coming into the league with perhaps the most pressure than any player in NBA history has faced. Over two decades in the league, he's accomplished everything that he possibly could, now standing as one of, if not the greatest player in basketball history, and at 40-years of age, he's still playing at a very high level.

Despite that however, there are question marks over his future in the NBA and just how long he can play, but as of yet, he's shown no signs of slowing down significantly.

The latest update may contradict that though, as Brett Siegel has noted that the gossip around the current Summer League tournament is that the 2025/26 season could be the last one of James' illustrious NBA career. 

This doesn't guarantee anything, but with over 1,500 regular season games and just under 300 playoff games under his belt thus far, there's only so much more than James' body can take at this point. While there's no doubt that James would love to pursue a fifth NBA title, the Lakers appear to be moving on too, with the team now defined as Luka Doncic's, rather than LeBron's, and after getting to play on the same floor as his son on the same team, there's little more for him to accomplish.

If there's anyone that can play well into their 40's however, it's James, who has been the most consistent and reliable player in league history throughout his 22 seasons in the NBA, so while it may or may not be his last campaign in the NBA, talk around potential retirement is certainly heating up.