Former LeBron James Teammate Pressures Lakers Star to Retire After Latest Injury News

Oct 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23), wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat, watches from the sideline during a break against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has received tons of speculation regarding his future this offseason.

From whether or not he will be with the Lakers, to even still playing the game of basketball, The King has dealt with just about every rumor this summer. As the regular season looms, it seems increasingly likely that he will begin this campaign with the purple and gold, despite preparing to miss the start of the season due to sciatica.

Former teammate and current ESPN commentator Kendrick Perkins provided his insight as to when he thinks LeBron should retire, noting that he believes The King should listen to his body.

More news: Historic LeBron James Streak Could Come to an End with Lakers This Season

"His body is telling him, 'hey, I've been good to you, it's time for you to be good to me, it's time to shut it down,'" said Perkins. "Not right now, but at the end of this season, I feel like this should be LeBron's last season, and he should really retire after this season. It's nothing more for him to accomplish. He accomplished everything."

"At the end of this season, I feel like this should be LeBron's last season, and he should really retire after this season. It's nothing more for him to accomplish. He accomplished everything."@KendrickPerkins shares his thoughts on LeBron following his nerve irritation ✍️ pic.twitter.com/4U4zZBfNni

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 10, 2025

Regardless if Perkins has knowledge on his former teammate's future decision or not, which he didn't appear to have any, if James' body is telling him to hang it up, it wasn't evident with what he was doing on the court last season.

James put up 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and one steal per game last season, earning his 21st All-Star selection and finishing sixth in MVP voting. The last time James finished that high in MVP voting was when he finished second during the 2019-20 season (where he led the league with 10.2 assists on the way to his fourth NBA championship).

More news: LeBron James Injury Update, Luka Doncic Prediction, Austin Reaves Talks LeBron Future

Something that will help LA both in the immediate future while James is out, but will continue to help for years to come is the arrival of superstar Luka Doncic.

Doncic appears to be who will take the reins of the franchise as LeBron plays out the final year of his contract, but will likely have a larger role in The King's absence to start the season.

Even when James returns to the floor, fans can expect Doncic to take off the load for LeBron as the superstar duo prepares for their first full season as teammates.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.