LeBron James can sense the end of his career is approaching.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 128-123 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, James told reporters that he’s “not going to play that much longer” and even put a timeline on his NBA career.
“I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest,” he said when asked about how much longer he thinks he can play at the level he’s playing at. “I don’t know how many years that is. If it’s one year or two years, whatever the case may be.”
It’s a remarkable admission from James, who added to his already illustrious resume by becoming the oldest player to record three straight triple-doubles last night.
LeBron, who will turn 40 next month, scored 35 points, dished out 14 assists, and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Grizzlies, who were without their star guard Ja Morant, sidelined with a hip injury.
Even as he continues to prove Father Time wrong, James admitted he does not want to reach the point where he’s regressing and playing at a subpar level.
“I said the other night, I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not going to be that guy,” he said. “I’m not going to be the guy who is disrespecting the game because I just wanted to be out on the floor. That won’t be me.”
Aside from winning a fifth NBA title, what else does LeBron need to accomplish? He already has the all-time minutes and scoring record, became the first father-son duo in NBA history with Bronny, and left NBA fans with memories to last a lifetime.
