LeBron James responds to retirement question with cryptic statement

LeBron James helped the Los Angeles Lakers pick up a huge win on Sunday night at Barclays Center.

The veteran scored 40 points against the Brooklyn Nets as the Lakers kept their hopes of avoiding the Play-In Tournament alive. He even joined Michael Jordan as only the second player in NBA history to have put together multiple 40-point performances after turning 39 years old.

After the game though, LeBron was asked a very important question about his future and how long he expects to continue playing in the NBA. James said his time was near.

"I'm not gonna play another 21 years, that's for damn sure. But not very long," said James. "I don't know when that door will close as far as when I'll retire. But I don't have much time left."

LeBron hints at retirement in postgame interview

As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

LeBron is a free agent at the end of the year, so his time with the Lakers could potentially come to an end this offseason. Fortunately, it doesn't appear as though James wants to retire at the end of this season, and is hoping to at least play a few more years in the NBA. Of course, he does want the chance to play alongside his son, Bronny James when the young USC star is ultimately drafted.

This could result in James signing elsewhere this offseason. But one thing is for sure. James isn't going to be around much longer, which means fans should take in as much of him in action as they can while the opportunity is there.

He has averaged 27.1 points per game, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists during his career. He also has shot 50.6 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range, and 73.6 percent from free-throw range.

James has even been able to play all five positions on the court over the course of his career, making him one of the most versatile players of all time.

We'll see how many more years he'll play. He has been one of basketball's many icons for so many years, and the game won't be the same without him when his time comes.