LeBron James, 38, could put off retirement until MID-40s, says agent Rich Paul about the Lakers superstar: ‘He can play for as long as he wants’

Is LeBron James preparing to play through his mid-40s?

The Los Angeles Lakers star officially squashed any retirement talk at Wednesday’s ESPY awards – one day after his agent, Rich Paul, suggested James could play ‘five or six more years.’

‘Listen, he’s one guy that I’m not gonna say ”no” about,’ Paul told Sirius XM’s Frank Isola and Sarah Kustok on Tuesday. ‘I think it’s important to understand what really motivates him. I know it. Obviously, I have been around … As long as his mind is there, as long as he’s still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely [he can].

Known in the gossip pages as ‘Adele’s boyfriend,’ Paul is long-time confidant to James and obviously stands to gain financially if the four-time MVP continues playing. (James has two years and nearly $100 million remaining on his contract, but can opt out of the deal to become a free agent following next season)

But while he’s clearly biased in favor of his friend and client, Paul isn’t necessarily wrong. James’ durability is legendary, having played 1,421 games (10th all-time) and 54,093 minutes (third) in the regular season, as well as an NBA record 282 playoff contests without any career-threatening injuries.