LeBron James Reportedly Won’t Delay NBA Retirement To Play With Son Bryce

An anonymous NBA executive told Lakers Daily on Sept. 16 that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James wants to play with his second son Bryce James, who will play for the University of Arizona and will be draft-eligible in 2026.

“I think LeBron plays one or two more seasons unless the Lakers win it all next year,” the league executive said. “Bryce [James] will be eligible for the 2026 draft. There are some whispers that LeBron wants to play with him too.

“We’ll see what happens, but I just can’t see LeBron retiring after next season. He’s still too good of a player to just walk away. Unless there’s a huge drop-off in his production or the Lakers win the championship, I think LeBron is playing in 2026-27.”

LeBron James Not Waiting On Bryce To Get Drafted

However, James made it clear during the Lakers’ media day on Monday that he won’t let Bryce influence him on his NBA retirement decision. Both of his sons could be in the league by next season.

“I’m not waiting on Bryce,” James said with a smile. “I don’t know what his timeline is. He’s his own young man now. He’s down in Tucson. We’ll see what happens this year, next year. He has his own timeline, I’ve got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up. We’ll see.”

With the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Lakers selected Bronny James, LeBron’s eldest son. Last October, the pair became the first father-son duo to play in the NBA together.

LeBron: “I’m not waiting on Bryce. He has his own timeline, I got my timeline
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— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) September 29, 2025

LeBron James, who will turn 41 in December, will become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons when he steps on the court Oct. 21 against Golden State.

“It’s pretty cool to know how many miles I’ve got and still be able to play at a high level. For me, age is kind of just a number, but it is reality, too,” the four-time MVP said.

“You look at the history of the game, there’s not been many guys at my age, especially going into Year 23, that have been able to play at a level like that. I just try not to take it for granted and just try to give the game as much as I can, inspire whoever I can.”

James Entering Eighth Season With Lakers

James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks for the Lakers last season in 70 games. He finished sixth in MVP voting and made the All-NBA Second Team.

The future Hall of Famer is also set to enter his eighth season with the Purple and Gold. This means his time in Los Angeles is now his longest continuous tenure with an NBA franchise.

James played his first seven seasons with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by four with the Miami Heat and four more back in Cleveland before moving to Hollywood in 2018.

Earlier this offseason, James exercised his $52.62 million player option for the upcoming season. This is part of the two-year, $101.4 million contract he signed with the Lakers last July. His deal also includes a no-trade clause.