LeBron James has entered his 22nd NBA season, tying Vince Carter’s record for longevity in the league. At nearly 40 years old, James continues to perform at a high level, but naturally, he’s not the same player he was 15 years ago. With that in mind, fans and analysts have speculated that this could be the King’s final season. However, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green thinks otherwise.
James’ recent inconsistent performances with the Lakers—aside from a standout showing in a loss to the Miami Heat where he led his team in scoring—have fueled questions about his future. Green, however, attributes the dip to fatigue rather than a sharp decline in ability.
“Is Father Time catching up to him? Absolutely, because Father Time catches up to everyone,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “However, where I disagree is people are saying, ‘Oh, we just saw it. He’s done now, we’ve been waiting on it, now he’s done.’ No, no, no, I disagree with that. And the reason I disagree with that is because, quite frankly, what it looks like to me right now is he’s a little tired.”
Green elaborated on his point, reminding fans of James’ demanding schedule. “You also have to remember—and I know all of y’all have forgotten because you forget things so fast—they played into the playoffs last year. They fought an uphill battle to actually make it there,” Green said.
Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors defends against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Finally, the four-time champion made it clear he doesn’t see James in decline. “And then he comes in and he does the Olympics, no time off. I think Bron has just hit a little bit of a wall right now. The way people are trying to throw it out there like ‘Father Time has caught him and it’s here in our face and we’re just about to watch this decline happen.’ No chance,” Green emphasized.
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Jeff Teague adds his perspective
Former NBA player Jeff Teague also weighed in on the retirement chatter. “LeBron needs to rest a little bit, bro. Age is actually catching up with him. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it like this. He’s really slowing down,” Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast.
Teague went a step further, speculating that James might be planning his exit. “I ain’t gonna lie—I think he might retire after this year. I think he wants to do it differently. He’s probably got a documentary going right now, recording everything he’s doing. I can’t see LeBron having a year where he’s not still top 20 in the league,” Teague added.
Kendrick Perkins joins the discussion
LeBron’s subpar performance during the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Timberwolves—a game in which he scored just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting and missed all four of his three-point attempts—sparked further debate.
After the game, former Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his take on James’ future. “It’s looking like this just might be Bron’s last season,” Perkins wrote, adding fuel to the growing speculation.
