How old is LeBron James, how long has he been in the NBA and when will he retire?

LeBron James is, undeniably, one of the greatest NBA players ever. But how old is the Lakers star, how long has his career been and when will he retire?

You can debate all you want about where LeBron James comes in on any rankings of the greatest NBA players ever. The fact of the matter is that the current Lakers star is at or near the top of that list, without question.

LeBron is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, consistently sets new statistical heights with every game, is a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP. He’s an all-time great, no matter how you want to break it down — and not just his ability to perhaps stretch the truth, as the internet has recently had a ton of fun with.

For many basketball fans, though, LeBron James has seemingly been the face of the NBA for their entire lives. And as he’s in the playoffs yet again with the Lakers, some fans are asking how old LeBron is, how long he’s been in the NBA and when he’s going to retire. We’re going to answer all of that, or at least as best we can.

How old is LeBron James?

As of April 2023, LeBron is 38 years old. Midway through the 2023-24 season next year, though, the Lakers star will turn 39 years old as his birthday is on Dec. 30, born in 1984. For him to still be playing like one of the best players in the league at his age is a testament to both his talent and the way that James has taken care of his body throughout his basketball career.

How long has LeBron James been in the NBA?

LeBron James was drafted first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft right out of St. Vincent-St. Mary high school in Akron, OH. That means, as he’s in the 2023 postseason with the Lakers, he’s in the midst of his 20th NBA season.

In James’ career, he’s played for three teams, with the Lakers obviously being the most recent. He was drafted by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and played there from 2003-10. Then came the infamous “Decision” where he joined Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the Maimi Heat, where he stayed from 2010-14. After that run, he returned to Cleveland from 2014-18 before joining the Lakers in the 2018 offseason and has been in Los Angeles since.

When will LeBron James retire?

The short answer is that we don’t know. However, LeBron previously stated in Feb. 2023 that he still has “a few more years in the league”, per SI. With his son, Bronny, also set to enter the college basketball ranks in 2023, there has also been longstanding speculation that LeBron wants to play in the NBA with his son. Many have surmised that James wants to play on the same team as his son, but the validity of that happening remains to be seen.