World surprise, it has been revealed when LeBron James will retire

It has been a debate on when LeBron James should and could retire, as the Lakers star is currently 38 years old, and by the end of the next season, he will be 39.

But that will not be as soon as Lebron James' detractors wish him to retire, as he still has other plans. For starters, the current record of the player that has the most NBA seasons played is 22; with LeBron close to starting his 21 years in the league, he is looking to not only break that record but pass it and make a new one.

Now, his close friend Rich Paul spoke about the recent James comments of retiring after the last season, and Klutch Sports owner made an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio and, when asked whether LeBron could conceivably play until his mid-40s, said that he could while also revealing that James texted him not long after the Lakers season ended ready to get back in the gym:

"What does that put him at, five or six more years? He's one guy that I'm not gonna say no about. I think it's important to understand what motivates him. I know it. Obviously, I've been around him for so long that I can probably tell you what his day probably looks like without even talking to him. And as long as his mind is there, as long as he's still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely. I always tease him I say, 'If your athleticism went away, you'd just be Karl Malone, it's fine. You can pick-and-pop, shoot the jumper, make the right read.' He can literally play for as long as he wants to, and at this point, obviously, he's not playing for finances; he's playing because he loves the game."

LeBron James never really thought about retiring

"I think this summer, we saw how the season ended. We saw them basically trying to make the playoffs for two and a half months. And then to get to the Western Conference Finals, which was unbelievable in itself, but for someone who's always playing for championships, it wasn't obviously good enough. But then you saw how he ended the season and him making the comment 'having a lot to think about,' and then two weeks later, he's texting me because he's motivated to get back out there. So that's the roller coaster that you go on when you've been someone who has come in this league with such high expectations and exceeded them." Said Paul.