Ahead of his history-making 23rd NBA season, LeBron James, 40, made it known that he’s edging closer to retirement and not waiting for his son Bryce to earn a professional contract before hanging up his jersey.
James fulfilled a desire last year when the Los Angeles Lakers drafted his eldest child, Bronny, and they ultimately became the first father-son duo to play in the NBA together. But while talking to reporters on Monday, the league’s all-time leading scorer and future Hall of Famer stated that he wasn’t “waiting on” his other son, Bryce, who plays for the Arizona Wildcats.
“He has his own timeline, I got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up,” James added, per USA Today.
READ ALSO: LeBron James on why playing with son Bronny is his No. 1 accomplishment
During the offseason, James and the Lakers exercised his $52.6 million player option to remain on the franchise’s roster for the 2025-26 season. And though a deal has not been reached for James to continue playing for the franchise beyond the 2025-26 season, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka stated last week that they “would love if LeBron’s story would be he retired a Laker.”
James, on Monday, did not provide a specific timeline for his retirement. But he made it clear that he was not going to make that decision in consultation with his teammates.
“It’ll be a decision between me and my wife and my daughter,” James said, adding that Bronny, 20, and Bryce, 18, are currently not staying with the family. “It won’t be a meeting with my teammates.”
The four-time NBA champion, however, likened his condition to the wine that he drinks, implying that he gets better with age.
“I look at my age like the wine that I drink,” James told the reporters. “The older wine I drink, the better it is.”
READ ALSO: WATCH: Bronny James claps back at heckler who said something about his father LeBron
