Former rival expects LeBron James to retire by 2025

If a first-time viewer were to tune into a Lakers game, they'd probably think LeBron James is still an athlete in his prime. And nobody would blink an eye over that observation. After all, the 39-year-old James is averaging 25.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists in his 20th season, shooting a career-high 41.6 percent from the three-point range. 

Even as James shows no signs of slowing down, a former rival predicts he will endure a reality check by the 2024-25 season. On Monday's "NBA Today" on ESPN, Danny Green — who battled James in the 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals — explained why "The King" can't keep defying the odds.

"I think LeBron plays maybe one more year," Green predicted. "They [Lakers] can offer him a contract but he's still going to retire before that contract ends. I give him one more year. He'll try to play with Bronny....22 years on that body with those miles? It's coming to an end quickly."

When Green received pushback from Kendrick Perkins, who expects James to play "at least another two to three more years," the former Spur doubled down on his take. 

"I see him extending it one more year to play with Bronny," Green stressed. "Even though we look at him as super human, he's still a human being. Father Time — he's given him a good run for his money. But ultimately, Father Time always wins."

"Year 22? We've seen it happen to Kobe [Bryant], Vince [Carter], Dirk [Nowitzki] — we've seen guys become a shell of themselves. He may not become  shell of himself, but I just don't see him want to be that at this point of his career."

James himself is coming to terms with his basketball mortality. After the Lakers' win over the Nets Sunday night, the star forward admitted that he doesn't "have much time left" in his illustrious career. 

As of this writing, it's unknown if Bronny James will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft or return to USC for a sophomore year. If the LeBron namesake goes the one-and-done route, the final week of June could be a fascinating period in the world of sports. That's because the NBA Draft will be held on June 26-27, just days before James puts pen to paper on his future with the Lakers or another team.