LeBron James on Playing with Son If He Makes It to NBA: 'You Got To'

The key to figuring out how long LeBron James' NBA career will last could depend on his oldest son's development as a basketball player.

Prior to Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, James laid out a scenario in which he could keep playing as he approaches the age of 40, via ESPN:

"I'm 33, [LeBron James Jr.] is 13. ... If he has a chance [to play in the NBA], and it seems like he can make it, you got to."

This isn't the first time James has mentioned the possibility of hanging around in the NBA if his son has the chance to play basketball at that level.

In a GQ profile by Mark Anthony Green last October, James said he wouldn't want to be washed up in the NBA but "damn sure would love to stick around if my oldest son can have an opportunity to play against me."

LeBron James Jr. has shown talent on the basketball court, including this shooting display at an AAU tournament in Alabama this weekend:

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the NBA could make changes to its current draft-eligibility rules, making it so players don't have to attend one year of college before turning pro.

If that rule passes, LeBron James and LeBron James Jr. could potentially be on the same court either as teammates or opponents by the 2023-24 NBA season when the elder James would be nearing his 39th birthday.