Since being drafted first overall in 2003, James has crafted an unrivalled resume in the NBA, collecting championships, accolades and awards year after year. But as he settles into what is his 22nd season in the association, one NBA insider believes that James' retirement may be coming sooner than expected.

Is LeBron James retiring?

While James has yet to officially announce retirement plans, he has alluded to his career being close to the end, saying in mid-November that he would not play "until the wheels fall off."

"I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest," James said after a win against Memphis.

"I don’t know how many years that is. If it’s one year or two years, whatever the case may be.

"I’m not going to be the guy who is disrespecting the game because I just wanted to be out on the floor. That won’t be me."

Considering this, ESPN insider Shams Charania has said that he believes the 2025-26 season could be James' last dance, to coincide with a home All-Star game in Los Angeles.

"I found it interesting this week, he said he's not going to play until the wheels fall off," Charania said on ESPN's First Take. My sense is next season could potentially be his last season in the NBA. Now, could he play another season after that? 2026, 27, potentially”.

"Bryce James, his youngest son, is class of 2025, maybe Bryce keeps him around an extra year or two. But I do think next season, All-Star Game in LA, there might be some good momentum there for that."

James has been a member of the Lakers since 2018, and signed an extension with the team during the previous off-season, though the terms were not made public.