LeBron James reveals how Victor Wembanyama might accelerate his NBA retirement

This year, LeBron James completed his 22nd season in the NBA. While both his performance and that of the Los Angeles Lakers fell short of expectations—particularly during the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves—the forward still had an overall strong campaign. Nevertheless, he recently discussed retirement and mentioned Victor Wembanyama as a factor that could influence his decision.

James appeared Saturday on a panel at Fanatics Fest in New York City, alongside other sports legends like NFL icon Tom Brady. Also present was San Antonio Spurs’ Wembanyama, and it was during this conversation that the Lakers forward referred to him while discussing his future in professional basketball.

“I can’t play that much further,” LeBron said in a video shared by Anthony Rivardo on X, drawing a few disappointed reactions from the audience. “The more and more times that I play, as long as he keeps smacking my (expletive) shots into the stands, it’s gonna make me retire.”

Immediately after saying this, James laughed, making it clear the comment was made in jest. Still, there’s a truth behind the humor: as time goes on and he continues to age, it will become increasingly difficult to compete against younger players—especially those like Wemby, whose physical presence is so imposing.

Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James speak onstage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025

Wembanyama jokes back about LeBron

Just as LeBron cracked a joke about how difficult it is to handle Victor Wembanyama’s height, the French center also had a playful moment of his own during the same panel.

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Still talking about James’s longevity and how long he has remained one of the NBA’s marquee stars, Wemby took the microphone and dropped a comment that sent the crowd into laughter. “He was drafted before I was born,” said Victor, in a video shared by Josh Paredes on X.

That’s a fact. LeBron James began his professional career with the Cleveland Cavaliers after being selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft on June 26, 2003. Wembanyama, meanwhile, was born nearly seven months later on January 4, 2004—by which time LeBron was already nearing the end of a season that would earn him NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Wembanyama respects the NBA’s superstars

Despite joking about LeBron James’s age and the generational gap, Victor Wembanyama made it clear during the same conversation that he deeply values what he can learn from the league’s elite players. “I have a note on my phone with questions to ask KD (Kevin Durant), Bron… I had the chance to talk to (Nikola) Jokic for 45 minutes at All-Star. And I’m taking notes. When I’m told something, I don’t forget it. It’s super precious, for sure.”