Rich Paul Hints That LeBron James’s 76ers Tenure Could Last Longer Than You Might Think

James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia that most figure will serve as the final contract of his NBA career.

LeBron James signed a two-year contract with the 76ers, but his agent Rich Paul says that won’t necessarily mark the end of his story. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“This is my last decision,” LeBron James said in his official announcement that he would join the 76ers in free agency. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”

That quote coincided with a two-year, $8 million deal that gives Philadelphia one of the greatest players in basketball history, who at 41 is still playing like an All-Star, at a bargain basement price. The upcoming season, during which James will turn 42, could of course be his last. Should he go out and help lead the 76ers to their first title since 1983 alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown, it would be an incredible way to go out.

That isn’t a guarantee though, and James’s agent Rich Paul has previously signaled that there is a good possibility that ‘Bron picks up his player option for 2027–28. And now, quoted by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin in a feature about James’s latest (and supposed final) decision, Paul wouldn’t rule out James signing another contract to stay in Philly.

“I think Philadelphia’s going to energize him,” Paul said. “Maybe we get two [seasons]. Maybe we get four.”

LeBron himself has discussed playing as long as he can, likening himself to aging rock stars like Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones

During the 2025–26 season, it often felt like we were watching James’s version of The Last Dance. The Lakers thrived during the home stretch of the season, as the legendary forward willingly took a backseat to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, until injuries to both guards thrust LeBron back into the lead role.

He was able to lead the incredibly injured Los Angeles squad to eliminate the Rockets (who were, to be fair, without Kevin Durant for much of the series), before the Lakers were swept by the Thunder. James opted to leave the franchise as free agency began, and after a lengthy wait, chose to continue his career with the Sixers—a team to which he had no prior connection.

And in the run-up to that decision, he didn’t sound like someone who was planning to play just one more year and then fade into retirement.

The 41-year-old LeBron James, on stage for a live taping of The Shop with the 39-year-old Novak Djokovic, pushes back against the call for aging athletes to retire. He cites the staying power of artists like Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones as examples of continued appeal pic.twitter.com/ZejFH72xPc

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 17, 2026

“With all these conversations like, ‘When is he going to retire? He needs to retire. He’s this age, he’s that age,’ but why? But why?” LeBron said onstage at Fanatics Fest earlier this month, during a live taping of his show The Shop. “Why are we trying to force people that still doing what they do at a high level? Why are we trying to force the narrative that it’s time to retire?

“You look at guys like Bruce Springsteen and some of the greatest musicians, or The [Rolling] Stones—they’ve been on tour for 50, 60 years and no one’s telling them, ‘Don’t come to our city.’ ... So if we’re still dedicating ourselves to the craft. If we are still giving to the sport. If we’re not disrespecting the game, and we’re giving everything we have to the sport and we’re still driving revenue as well, why not? Why can’t I still play if I still love it. So I’m just trying to squeeze as much of the juice out of it as possible.”

Comparing high-level NBA basketball to music isn’t quite apples-to-apples, but James’s point is well-taken. Springsteen, at 76, is still adding to his impressive legacy in the studio while selling out stadiums and arenas around the world. Sure, his concerts in 2026 are closer to two-and-a-half hours than those that flirted with four earlier in his career. That might be a good analog for what LeBron can bring to the 76ers in ‘26–27 and perhaps beyond.

As McMenamin notes, four more years would bring James to 45 years old—putting him in range of the oldest NBA player ever, Nat Hickey, who suited up at 45 years, 363 days old—and an unthinkable 27 NBA seasons. And while matching Michael Jordan’s six NBA titles may still elude him even if he keeps suiting up, if he can keep contributing to winning teams for multiple more seasons, his longevity makes his case as the greatest basketball player of all time very compelling.

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