Lakers' LeBron James Says He Won't Play 'That Much Longer' Before NBA Retirement

LeBron James turns 40 years old in December, but he looked like he could play for another five or more years when he posted a triple-double of 35 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds during Wednesday's 128-123 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Naturally, how much longer he will continue to play came up in the aftermath.

"I'm not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest," he told reporters. "I don't know how many years that is. If it's one year or two years, whatever the case may be. I said the other night, I'm not playing until the wheels fall off. I'm not going to be that guy. I'm not going to be the guy who is disrespecting the game because I just wanted to be out on the floor."

James already played long enough to take the floor with his son and Los Angeles Lakers teammate, Bronny, as they became the first father-and-son duo to play together in the NBA. But he is far more than just a ceremonial figure playing out the string of his career. He is still one of the best players in the league and the primary reason why the Lakers have a chance to be a threat in the daunting Western Conference.

Wednesday marked his third consecutive triple-double in a season where he is averaging 24.3 points, 9.4 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 45.9 percent from three-point range. That would be a career-best mark from downtown if he maintains it, which is a testament to his overall efficiency at this stage of his career.

The King is thriving in his 22nd season of his illustrious career.

Perhaps he will attempt to play into a 24th campaign so he can play alongside his other son, Bryce, who is 17 years old and a senior in high school. He told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com last month, "That would be pretty cool. It's all about my mind and then seeing how my body reacts over these next couple of years."

On Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN said his "sense" is next season could be James' last, but he noted that Bryce could keep him "around an extra year or two."

James also mentioned how important his mind is during his latest comments on Wednesday, which is notable since he doesn't seem to be slowing down much from a physical standpoint.

For now, he is chasing the fifth championship of his career on a Lakers team that is off to a 7-4 start and in sixth place in the early Western Conference standings. As long as James continues to play at such a high level, the Purple and Gold figure to remain in the playoff picture.

Relying on someone who is about to turn 40 years old may not seem like a realistic plan on paper. But nothing about how incredible James continues to be at this stage of his career seems realistic.