LeBron James Reportedly Could Play Beyond 2025-26, Has Been in Weight Room with Bronny

There's been plenty of speculation about whether LeBron James will call it quits after the 2025-26 season, but the Los Angeles Lakers star reportedly is mulling the possibility of playing beyond the upcoming season.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, "James is not entering next season with any certainty that it will be his last."

McMenamin added that James began on-court basketball activities this week following his MCL sprain suffered in the playoffs. Before then, he had been in the weight room alongside his son, Bronny James.

James has a player option worth $52.6 million for the 2025-26 season and will hit free agency ahead of the 2026-27 season. ESPN's Shams Charania reported in May that James is "likely" to opt into his contract and remain in Los Angeles for at least one more season.

While the idea of retiring is likely getting much more realistic for James, he's continued to play at a high level. In Year 22, he put up 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds, playing 70 games for the second season in a row.

James' game has continued to adapt with age as he transitioned away from getting down and attacking the rim and more towards being a playmaker who can occasionally get to the basket. Barring injury, James seems capable of playing several more years in the NBA.

And things should be easier this season in his first full season alongside Luka Dončić. For the first time in his career, James has the chance to serve as a second fiddle and allow Dončić to be the first option.

How much James has left remains to be seen, but as long as he's capable of helping a team win games, it's hard to imagine him walking away from the sport he's been the face of for two decades.