LeBron James Wants This To Happen Before He Officially Retires From The NBA

LeBron James is approaching his 20th year in the NBA, yet he's still very much at the top of his game. Also known as King James and often referred to as the GOAT in basketball, the athlete is showing no signs of stopping. But now that he's also in his mid-30's, some fans can't help but wonder if he's retiring anytime soon.

It turns out that LeBron fans don't have anything to worry about. The NBA star said that he hopes to stay in the league for many more years and that he would want to stick with his Lakers team for as long as he can. "I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers. However many years that is, if it's four, five, six, whatever, seven, I hope I can continue to play the game," he said in the "SmartLess" podcast, per NBC Sports. "I love being in L.A., my family loves being in L.A. Being with a historical franchise like the Lakers is something... It's like me being in "Space Jam" — I never thought it would be possible. You think about Kareem and Magic and Wilt and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, Kobe, Shaq and all of them, the whole list goes on."

The love for the game isn't the only thing that's holding King James back from hanging up his sneakers — it turns out that he has an even bigger reason to keep playing.

Training together with his son, LeBron "Bronny" James, Jr, isn't enough for LeBron James. The 4-time NBA champion's ultimate goal is to share a court with him at a professional level. In a short clip shared by Uninterrupted on Instagram on January 3, LeBron said that there's nothing he wants more than to play with Bronny. "I want him to get to the NBA. I'm not even gonna lie," he admitted. "I want to be on the court with him. I think that would an unbelievable moment."

LeBron is also aware that it will still take a few more years until his dream comes to fruition. Bronny isn't set to graduate until 2023, the same year LeBron's contract with the Lakers ends. "That's definitely one of my goals, but that's a long-term goal," he said. "My son right now is in high school and enjoying what being a teenager is all about."

LeBron continues to pull impressive stats on the court despite being past his prime, so it's highly possible that he's would be in tiptop shape once Bronny makes it in the league. He's aware that he's already on the "other side of the hill," but he won't stop until his body can keep up. "We'll see where my body takes me and my mind. As long as my mind stays fresh and my body stays with that, I can play the game," LeBron told reporters on December 28, 2021, per CBS Sports. "But, in the end, the game will tell you."