Bryce James hints LeBron James may retire after 2025-26 season

According to US sports media F/W reporter Vishvisha Kumar. James once again became the center of speculation as the spokesperson for the NBA for twenty years, but this time, the biggest clue about his future may come from his own son. Bryce James, the youngest of LeBron’s two basketball-playing sons, made candid and rather illuminating comments on the Instagram live conference, strongly suggesting that the Kings’ reign could end after the 2025-26 NBA season.

Bryce, a freshman at the University of Arizona, was asked if he believed his father would still stay in the NBA long enough to share the court with him, just like the way LeBron and Brownie James were connected. His answer was casual and convincing: "I won't lie, that's OD. Wait until I... no, that's too much. They said my dad would still be in the league when I was selected... it was too much. No. No. He would be 42, brother."

It was this casual comment that triggered a storm, and James recently chose to join his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers, seemingly promising another season in Los Angeles. However, his agent Ritchie Paul later told ESPN that James and the Lakers weren’t necessarily on the same starting line, complicating the narrative. Rumors began to bubble again. The retired whispers surfaced again. Now, Bryce's comments seem to support the theory that the 2025-26 season might be LeBron's last dance.

40-year-old LeBron is still very effective. Last season, he averaged more than 25 points and nearly 8 assists per game, still organizing offense like a master. But the damage to the body of 22 NBA seasons, playoff marathons, four Olympics entries and uninterrupted media attention must be heavy, even for someone who regards his body as a rhapsody. Bryce's perspective adds unique credibility because he is close enough to LeBron to know his intentions, but is detached enough to speak honestly. It would be telling if his assumption is that his dad won’t play in the NBA by 2026.

LeBron would not stay and play with his two sons, which was once considered his bucket list goal, suggesting that reality may be happening. Brownie is already with the Lakers. Bryce is a three-star recruit and has a few years left. And LeBron was 42 by then and he might not want or cannot extend his career that far.

He is always a master in control of his own destiny and may wish to decide his farewell in his own way in the final season. But if Bryce is right, then we may have witnessed the final chapter of a career that the sport has never seen before. In this way, many players will withdraw from the public eye this season, including James, Paul, Horford, Lowry, Love, etc. Do you think Bryce’s remarks about his father’s retirement are highly credible?