Lakers Star LeBron James Shares Retirement Plan With Wife Savannah and Kids

NBA fans aren't ready for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to hang up his sneakers. And thankfully for them, he isn't ready to call it a career quite yet, either.

And on the surface, it doesn't make sense for him to stop playing, given his current form. Despite being 41 years old, James is still the most athletic player on the court during most games. He's still producing at an elite level, has managed to stay healthy, and the Lakers appear to be true championship contenders (especially once Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves return to the lineup.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Bronny James (9) | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Then again, it's not like LeBron has anything more to prove on the court. While he surely wants another championship, not winning another isn't going to negatively impact his legacy. He already holds too many records to count, and should have a lifetime's worth of free meals in Los Angeles, Miami, and Cleveland.

But LeBron retiring wouldn't be because of basketball. It would be because of his family, which includes his wife, Savannah, his son (and teammate), Bronny, his other son, Bryce, and his daughter, Zhuri.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

LeBron James' Family-First Sentiment About Retiring Speaks Volumes

James conveyed as much when speaking with ESPN's Dave McMenamin for an article that was published on April 29.

H*** yeah. My wife is going to get a lot of f****** time because I've had to sacrifice not being with my wife a lot because I wanted to be the greatest player that ever played this game. My daughter, I'm going to spend a lot of time with her because I spent the first 11 years of her life — or 12, whenever this s*** is over, 13 — being away from her. My youngest son is in college," LeBron said in the article.

"My family deserves all my time. And then, me. I deserve my time, too. Because I've dedicated to this sport for so long that I'll be happy as f*** when it's all done to get the f*** away and give myself some grace," he added.

New story: After covering LeBron James for more than a decade, often he can predict my questions and I can predict his answers. Coming into this season I pitched him on asking 23 questions I never asked before. Here is that year-long 1-on-1 conversation: https://t.co/axL1orHq3y
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 29, 2026

It makes sense that James plans to prioritize spending time with his family after retiring, especially given how supportive they've been throughout his NBA career.

And given that Bronny is with the Lakers and Bryce could also have a future in professional basketball, it's not like James will be away from the game. Even though Savannah could probably use a break.

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