Later Tuesday, LeBron James will make history by becoming the first player in NBA history to play a game both in his teens and in his 40s. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer turned 40 on Monday and is still going strong in his 22nd season.
James is averaging 23.5 points per game, his lowest since his rookie season, but his 9 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game are both better than his career averages. While he may not be the best player in the NBA anymore, he’s still producing numbers that many would kill to have.
James has not ruled out the idea of retirement, but he says it won’t be because he can’t play the game at a high level. In fact, he claims he could play at a high level for another five to seven years if he wanted to. However, he’s adamant that once he hangs up his jersey, he’s done for good.
James currently has a player option worth nearly $53 million next season and has already made history this season by becoming the all-time minutes leader and having his son, Bronny, make his NBA debut. The four-time NBA champion and his son are not only the first father-son duo to be active in the NBA at the same time, but also the first duo to be teammates.