LeBron James is already entering his age-40 season, so fans know that he is nearing the end of his legendary career. The only question at this point is how many more years the Los Angeles Lakers star plans to play professionally before he retires.
Interestingly, James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, Iman Shumpert, believes he knows the answer to that question.
In an exclusive interview with RG.org, Shumpert said that he sees James playing for at least two or three more years, and the reason for that is simple: Bronny.
James has always wanted to play alongside his eldest child, and the Lakers made that possible by drafting the youngster out of USC with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
With Bronny in tow, Shumpert believes James will stay with the Lakers to guide his son.
“I’d say three,” Shumpert said when asked how many more years James will play in the NBA.
“I’ll say this – he’s capable of three. I want to say after Year 2 with his son [Bronny], I want to say he puts it down. If he gives us one more after that, cool. I think he’s going to let Bronny get through Year 1 and 2 and then it’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s got it.'”
However, Iman Shumpert did share that it remains possible for LeBron James to retire after the 2024-25 season. But that is only if Bronny comes out and “kills in his first year and just goes crazy.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9).
© Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
It is worth noting that James signed a two-year, $104 million contract with the Lakers in July, so the two-year prediction is possible. As Shumpert said, it gives James enough time to share the court with his son and teach him everything he knows about the pros.
For now, it remains to be seen what’s in store for James’ immediate future. If he ends up playing two or three more years, he’ll be 42 or 43 by the time he calls it a career.
