Despite some awkwardness earlier in the offseason, LeBron James is set to play at least one more season with the Los Angeles Lakers. With no more years left on his contract after 2025-26, nobody knows for sure what the legendary forward will do.

He turns 41 in December, so nobody would be surprised if he decided to retire, but it’s clear that James still has a lot of love for basketball. His body hasn’t been able to hold up as well in recent years, and that could be what ultimately leads him to retirement.

However, just because he retires from the NBA doesn’t mean that he has to stop playing basketball. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, James could be open to playing in an alternative basketball league.

“I keep hearing people like, this might be the last year, this might be the last year,” Windhorst said of “The Hoop Collective” podcast. “Look, he’s been linked to potentially playing in other leagues. I don’t know, maybe. But if he stays healthy, I do not see LeBron James slowing down.”

Leaving the NBA would take a lot of pressure off of James, and he’d be able to just focus on having fun. That said, it’s hard to imagine him playing in BIG3 or the EuroLeague. There’s talk about him being involved in a new league, and perhaps he could commit to that and say goodbye to the NBA.

James Not Worried About Age

James clearly isn’t the same player he was when he was in his 20s or 30s. However, he was still named All-NBA Second Team for his work last season.

James could likely still be an effective basketball player for years to come. He may be the oldest player in the NBA, but he doesn’t think it matters. He still feels good, even at his older age.

“Nah, age doesn’t matter,” James told “CGTN Sports Scene.” “Age is just a number for sure. I definitely feel, you know, energetic. You know, anytime I’m out there on the floor trying to give everything I got to my teammates, you know, it’s about that win.”

Once James officially retires, it’ll be hard to come back, so it sounds like he’s not going to make the decision until he knows for sure that he’s done playing professionally.

Luka Doncic Doesn’t Plan to Play as Long as James

It might be a long time before we see another player like James. While more players are playing at a high level into their late 30s, being this good at 40 is almost impossible.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic has had a front row seat to what James is doing, but doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps. When asked if he wanted to play as long as James, he had a blunt answer.

“No. I don’t think so,” Doncic told The Wall Street Journal.

Doncic is only 26, so he has a long way to go before he even has to realistically get into James’ mindset. If he’s still an All-Star as he gets closer to his 40s, he might start singing a different tune.

Austin Boyd has covered the Las Veg