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Gilbert Arenas Details the Real Reason LeBron Will Retire in 2026

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Wright | Last updated Nov 19, 2024 1:48 PM ET

At 39 years old, LeBron James is showing no signs of slowing down. He's continuing to outperform younger players on both ends of the court. If LeBron keeps playing at this caliber, and takes the Lakers to the playoffs again, he'll more than likely be in contention for his 5th MVP award.

Barring some freakish career-ending injury, LeBron will average over 20 points per game again this season and will likely set two more NBA records for most minutes played and most games played by 2026. It begs the question: with nothing left to prove, what reason does he have to stay in the league?

Some pundits speculate that he wants to win one more championship before he makes his exit. Others have suggested that he wants to pad his stats even more to protect his status. However, on a recent episode of Gil's Arena, podcast host and retired All Star guard Gilbert Arenas disagreed with these sentiments, believing that the real reason LeBron will retire in 2026 has more to do with his family:

"He's gone next year... 2026 he's outta here. Look at him, what else is he proving here? There's nothing to prove... As of today, he has something he's never seen coming. No player's seen coming—that he gets to play with son. It's the first time in his career that he gets to be around his son 365 days."

Since Bronny isn't going to play road games with the Lakers this season, Arenas is a little off the mark. However, if Bronny is assigned to the Lakers bench full-time next season, LeBron would get to spend a full year with his son.

James has played pro ball for 22 seasons. At 41 road games a season, that's roughly three months a year for 22 years that he's spent away from his wife and kids. While LeBron has a duty to his team, ultimately, his primary responsibility is to his wife and kids. Sure, money's great, but no one can recover lost time. Now, for the first time in his life, he'll get to spend a full year with his oldest son. With two more kids at home, retiring sooner would give him more time to watch them grow. Maybe this is his final accomplishment?