LeBron James Retirement Timeline Predicted By Andy Bailey
On Friday night, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reminded everyone that he’s still got gas left in the tank, even at 41 years of age.
LeBron dropped 31 points on the Memphis Grizzlies, joining up with Luka Dončić to push the Lakers to their 21st victory of the season. James also tallied nine rebounds and six assists on the night.
LeBron is unquestionably the most impressive 41-year-old we’ve ever seen hoop at the NBA level, but how long can this continue? Father Time spares no one, and eventually, LeBron will walk away from the sport that he’s dominated for more than two decades.
Bleacher Report’s NBA writer Andy Bailey made a specific prediction about LeBron’s retirement this week. Bailey said that James will announce his retirement after this season but play one final season in 2026-27 as a farewell tour.
“There’s just no way one of the two or three best players in NBA history is going to walk away from the game without a retirement tour, especially when you consider how carefully LeBron James has managed his brand and career to this point,” Bailey wrote on January 1.
“After he announces at some point in 2026 (probably this summer), every game he plays in 2026-27 will be an event, particularly those on the road,” Bailey continued. “Scores of fans will want to see him live one last time. And though he won’t be able to put on quite the same show he used to, LeBron will continue to set a new standard for NBA production after a 40th birthday.”