According to LeBron James himself, he isn’t going to play “until the wheels fall off.” Despite saying that, James never said when he would retire. That thought is still running through his head.

“I’m not gonna play that much longer, to be completely honest. I don’t know how many years that is, whether it’s 1 year, 2 years, whatever… I’m not playing til the wheels fall off.”

Now, this speculation has been intensified by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Per Charania, he believes LeBron will retire after next season. He cites it because that’s his $52.6 million player option season.

Over the past couple of contracts he has signed, LeBron has made it very flexible to where he’s in control of what happens. Whether that’s short-term deals or including a player option.

However, despite what Shams said, he does see a world where he does continue to play. He cites the NBA All-Star Weekend being held in Los Angeles in 2027, and his son, Bryce James, being able to play with his father as soon as the 2026-27 season.

While all of this is speculation, it would be interesting to see him have his farewell tour in 2027, playing with his two sons on the Lakers, hosting the All-Star Weekend, and having that year dedicated to him.

According to the man himself, LeBron James plans on playing in all 82 games for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. If the 39-year-old were to play in every game, it would be the first time since the 2017-18 season.

How this came out publicly was through reporters asking James if he was going to plan in Los Angeles’s back-to-back this weekend. For context, Friday was their first game against the Phoenix Suns, their second game is Saturday against the Sacramento Kings.

Not only did the superstar talent say he was going to play against Sacramento, he was going to make an effort to play in every game this season.

“Yeah. I plan on playing every game. We’ll see what happens. You never know. We’ll see what happens if I don’t,” James said.

Fans have a real shot of seeing LeBron play in all 82 games, as last season he appeared in 71 games.

Another offseason, another year of speculation on whether or not LeBron James will announce his retirement. Amidst all that, an NBA insider has revealed some important details about an whenever-announced LeBron retirement.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, LeBron James will not choose the Tim Duncan way of retiring by simply announcing to the world he is hanging up the sneakers after the season has concluded. Instead, James will be taking the Kobe Bryant route.

The Kobe route means having a farewell tour for an entire NBA season known before that upcoming season.

“And I think when it’s the final march of LeBron, perhaps final March rather than Last Dance, we’re all going to know. We’re all going to know and it’s going to be must see TV. It’s going to be the LeBron tour coming to town throughout the 28 NBA cities culminating in a spectacular farewell.”

McMenamin continues by saying that LeBron isn’t going to announce it, and that’s it; it will be a whole show.

“This isn’t going to be one of those things where after the season he says, ‘By the way, that was the last [season].’ He is going to want to dance or march his way out of the NBA.”

While no one knows when the 39-year-old will retire, fans do know that it will be planned out and that he will be celebrated for an entire season.