Twenty-two years into his professional basketball career, there is no question LeBron James is still playing at a high level. Through 28 games this year, James is averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and nine assists per game.
While he is perhaps no longer a clear MVP candidate like he was throughout much of his career, he is still a sure-fire All-Star.
As James turned 40 years old on Monday, questions turned to his future. Numerous NBA All-Stars continued playing into their early 40s, but most players had to settle for limited roles by that age.
Not James. But it's clear that James has no plans to continue his career as an aging former star.
James said the process of playing at a high level has "never been easy." But he said his decision to retire won't be based on his ability to play at a high level.
RELATED STORY | NBA's Dwyane Wade honored with statue that 'looks nothing like him'
"If I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for about another – weird that I might say this – but about another five or seven years, if I wanted to,” James said. “But I’m not going to do that.”
James was asked whether he would miss the game after leaving, and he said yes, but clarified he would not come back to basketball once retired.
James was widely considered one of the top prospects to ever enter the NBA Draft after his high school graduation in 2003. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose home arena was just miles from his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
After a seven-year stint with the Cavs, he had an acrimonious exit to Miami, which included four NBA Finals appearances and two championships. He then returned to Cleveland for four seasons, leading the Cavs to the NBA Finals in all four years, and winning the franchise's first NBA title in 2016.
The 22-year journey was one that James didn't expect at age 18.
RELATED STORY | LeBron and Bronny James make history as NBA's first father-son duo to play together
"I didn't give myself a timetable of how long I would play the game," he said. "I told myself I wanted to maximize the time I had in the league and I wanted to be as great as I could be."
The last year also brought the highlight of him playing alongside his son Bronny James, who made his NBA debut in October. The duo became the first father-son pair to ever play in the same NBA game.
After a sluggish start for the Lakers, Bronny James has seen his production rise in the second-tier G League, scoring in double figures in seven of the last eight games.
