Few in the world of basketball are as tapped into LeBron James’s thinking as his longtime friend and agent Rich Paul. Speaking to SiriusXM’s Frank Isola and Sarah Kustok, Paul said he wouldn’t rule out James, 38, playing well into his 40s—even as old as 45.
“He’s one guy I’m not going to say ’no’ about,” Paul said. “I think it’s important to understand what really motivates him. I know it. Obviously I’ve been around him for so long, I can tell you what his day looks like without even talking to him. As long as his mind is there, as long as he’s still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely.”
Paul also addressed James’s otherworldly athleticism, that ranks among the best in the NBA even at his advanced age. In a statement that will surely turn some heads, Paul says that he teases his friend by saying that if he were to lose his athleticism, he could just become a player like Hall of Fame power forward Karl Malone.
“I always tease him, I said, ‘If your athleticism went away, you’d be Karl Malone, its fine. You can pick-and-pop, shoot the jumper, make the right read.’ He can literally play for as long as he wants to. At this point he’s not playing for finances, he’s playing because he loves the game.”
“He’s one guy that I’m not going to say no about”
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 11, 2023
Rich Paul is asked if he thinks LeBron could play until he’s 44 or 45 years old@RichPaul4 | @TheFrankIsola | @sarahkustok pic.twitter.com/3Mz3ayHSbR
That love for the game remains key for James to keep his legendary career going. Paul acknowledged that his friend hinted about potential retirement after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Nuggets, but that he is now locked in and ready to make another NBA Finals push with Los Angeles in 2023–24. However, even he doesn’t know when that last season will come.
“I’m impressed with the fact that he still loves it, I really am. It’s a sight to see,” Paul said. “I think people will miss him when he does stop playing, and obviously the talk shows will have a ton of things to talk about. … But you just never know, so I just try to enjoy the moment.”
