LeBron James has now played more years in the NBA than Cooper Flagg has been alive. His longevity often wins the argument when the GOAT debate starts. This November, LeBron officially entered his 23rd NBA season, breaking his tie with Hall of Famer Vince Carter. In simple terms, he’s now the oldest active player in the league, and that word ‘old,’ isn’t being tiptoed around. Neither LeBron nor those closest to him have shied away from acknowledging it.

“I know it’s like, ‘he’s old, he should retire,'” Dwayne Wade admitted this after reflecting on LeBron James reaching Year 23.”But at the same time, I’m gonna miss him… He’s just taking these moments in; we don’t know when the last one is coming.”

“I’m like you guys, I’m a fan,” Wade confessed, and it’s clear he’s not ready to see James say goodbye just yet.

LeBron James made one thing clear even before the season tipped off: he’s playing to win. That mindset showed up again against the Raptors, even on a night that quietly ended one of the greatest streaks in NBA history.

With the Lakers protecting a slim lead, LeBron passed up the final shot and kicked it to Rui Hachimura in the corner. The three went down at the buzzer, the Lakers won 123–120, and LeBron finished with just eight points. His run of 1,297 straight games scoring in double figures was over, but the win mattered more.

Earlier during a game against the Mavericks, Wade stepped into the interviewer’s chair, asking LeBron questions. The exchange brought back memories of a partnership that once ruled the league. You can still see it in flashes. Only now, instead of Wade throwing the lob, it’s Luka Doncic finishing plays with LeBron.

Two years ago, Dillon Brooks said it out loud, no filter attached. “I don’t care. He’s old,” Brooks said after Memphis beat the Lakers 103–93 to tie the series, making it clear he wasn’t scared of the moment or the man. Maybe the tone changes if L.A. wins that night, maybe it doesn’t, but the line stuck because it poked at something everyone already knew.

LeBron knows it too. He’s never pretended 40 sounds young. When a foot issue sidelined him for a game earlier this season, he laughed it off after a loss to Phoenix. “It’s called old,” James said, smiling. Then he added the part every adult relates to: “You just wake up with s— that you didn’t have the night before.” No denial. No excuses. Just honesty.

And yet, the body still does things it probably shouldn’t. That showed up again during the Lakers’ NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the Spurs. Late in the second quarter, LeBron brought the ball up, blew past his defender, attacked the paint, and rose up to put Luke Kornet on a poster. It was the moment everyone replayed, the reminder that athleticism doesn’t just disappear because the calendar flips.

He finished that night with 19 points in 36 minutes, and while he may not be the fastest guy on the floor anymore, he still knows exactly how to move. Old? Sure. Done? Not even close.

How close is LeBron James to saying goodbye?

LeBron James hasn’t put a date on the end, but he hasn’t dodged the topic either. The four-time MVP has admitted the finish line is “a lot sooner than later,” without promising another season or saying this will be his last. One detail adds to the uncertainty: for the first time in his Lakers career, LeBron is playing on an expiring contract. That could mean one final run in Los Angeles or the freedom to choose where his story ends, even if that means circling back to Cleveland.

Not everyone around the league thinks the timeline is wide open. Former teammate Danny Green, who played with LeBron in both Los Angeles and Cleveland, believes the signs are already there. “He’s showing that he’s coming over the hill,” Green said. “I just don’t see him making it to Year 24. I think this is it and we need to appreciate it.” Green also pointed to LeBron missing 14 games earlier this season with a sciatica issue, plus additional rest since, as hints that load management is becoming part of the plan.

Still, LeBron’s decision won’t be rushed. He’s made it clear he’s “not waiting” for his younger son, Bryce, to reach the NBA, even though Bryce could be draft-eligible in 2026. And history suggests these endings are rarely clean. Michael Jordan retired more than once, Kobe Bryant announced his farewell mid-season, and even recent stars have wavered before walking away.

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If LeBron is still wrestling with when and how to leave, it wouldn’t be unusual, it would be very on brand for a legend still figuring out his final chapter.