LeBron James is set to become the longest-tenured active player in NBA history when the 2025-26 season begins.. While he’s currently still with the Los Angeles Lakers, there’s growing speculation that his future may lie with an Eastern Conference franchise — one that isn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I believe that LeBron James’ well-chronicled fondness for playing at Madison Square Garden makes it unwise to say he’ll never be a Knick,” said reporter Marc Stein recently, referring to where the four-time NBA champion’s career could head in the future.
Stein was quick to point out an obstacle to that possibility — not related to LeBron’s interest, but rather New York’s plans. “I believe that it is far more difficult to gauge the Knicks’ willingness to bring him in,” the reporter admitted. “But I’m just saying: I will never rule out the possibility of No. 23 becoming a Knick someday. Because he is said to love The Garden that much.”
Indeed, LeBron has repeatedly expressed how much he enjoys playing at Madison Square Garden. One of the most recent examples came in February 2024, when he scored 24 points in the Lakers’ 113–105 win over the Knicks. After the game, he shared an Instagram story captioned: “My absolute favorite playground,” alongside emojis of the Statue of Liberty and an apple.
His numbers at MSG are also impressive. He’s played there 32 times in his career and holds a 23–9 record, averaging 28.0 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.9 rebounds. He’s also one of the few players in NBA history to score 50 or more points multiple times at Madison Square Garden as a visitor — joining the ranks of legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and James Harden.
LeBron has been linked to the Knicks before
Speculation about LeBron James joining the New York Knicks isn’t new. Earlier in his career, he came close, as he acknowledged in a 2024 interview shared by reporter Dave McMenamin on his X account.
“During my free agency period in 2010, it was one of the teams that I looked at,” James admitted. “So I’ve had that thought in my career.” At the time, he was preparing to leave Cleveland in search of a more competitive team, and the Knicks were among the options he considered — though he ultimately signed with the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA championships.
Now, the landscape is very different. At 40 years old and with one more season left on his deal with the Lakers, it doesn’t seem likely that LeBron James would join the Knicks right now. But once his contract in L.A. expires next summer, the picture could change. Adding to the intrigue, New York now has Mike Brown as head coach — the same coach who led James in Cleveland from 2005 to 2010.
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