NBA superstar LeBron James dropped by the Smartless podcast to promote his new flick Space Jam: A New Legacy, where he revealed his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The legend told hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes that he intends to remain with the Lakers until he retires—in the next four, five, six, or seven years.
“I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers. However many years that is, if it’s four, five, six, whatever, seven, I hope I can continue to play the game. I love being in LA; my family loves being in LA. Being with a historical franchise like the Lakers is something… It’s like me being in ‘Space Jam’ — I never thought it would be possible,” he told the hosts. “You think about Kareem, and Magic, and Wilt, and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, Kobe, Shaq and all of them, the whole list goes on.”
The 36-year-old has previously expressed remaining in the league until his son Bronny makes it to the NBA, which could happen in the next couple of years. If he can stay healthy and play well, James could potentially play for several seasons beyond that.
James currently has two years left on his contract with the Lakers. He signed an extension with the team in December worth $85 million.
Aside from the contract extension, he still has a lot to accomplish. He is four seasons away from tying Vince Carter’s 22 season record and 301 regular-season games away from Robert Parish’s record.
His season might have ended in the first round of the NBA playoffs this year, with the Lakers losing to the Phoenix Suns in six. But James is staying busy in the offseason, attending his son’s basketball games, and promoting Space Jam 2.
