Jan. 10, 2026, 10:10 p.m. PT

It is anyone’s guess whether this will end up being LeBron James’ final season in the NBA, or how many more seasons he may end up playing. Following a slow start after he missed the Los Angeles Lakers‘ first 14 games of this season due to sciatica, he has been playing at a superstar level, and it is hard to discern any drop-off in his ability, other than a slight decrease in his sustained athleticism and explosiveness.

During his “Game Over” podcast, Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, shared a conversation he had with the superstar about this late phase of the latter’s career. He said he urged James to pay it forward and help out younger players in the league in order to build culture (h/t Lakers Daily).

“I think that in LeBron’s case, however many more years he has to play – and we have had this conversation – I think it’s always important for when the game has given you so much, I think it’s so important for you to spend these years creating moments and memories for young players in your locker room, sharing that locker room with you,” Paul said.

“Give them everything. Give them everything you have because you don’t know how much longer you gonna be in those locker rooms. You’re not going to get that back, which is why I felt like when I went to the [San Antonio] Spurs facility and their legacy players had lockers, that means a lot. That is a culture thing. That’s a building block type of thing, foundational thing.”

James is averaging 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists a game so far this season. In his last 13 games, he has put up 25.6 points on 54.5% field-goal shooting, 6.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, and those numbers are very much in line with his career averages.

On Friday, the Lakers hosted the Milwaukee Bucks, which meant he squared off against Giannis Antetokounmpo for the first time since Dec. 2, 2022. While Antetokounmpo and crew got the best of Los Angeles in a four-point victory, Antetokounmpo admitted that he asked for and received James’ jersey after the game. James said afterward that he’s appreciating these final battles with fellow living legends such as Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

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The 41-year-old is in his record 23rd NBA season, and his contract will expire at the end of this season.