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LeBron James Announces He's Taking Up A New Sport

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 4:45 PM ET

LeBron James isn't ready to retire from the NBA just yet. When the time comes though, he already knows what sport he'll play next.

Just a few days ago, James exercised his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season. However, the NBA's all-time scoring leader has been mentioned in a few trade rumors. His agent, Rich Paul, has made it clear that he wants to play for a contender.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career. We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career."

At 40 years old, James is still capable of playing at an elite level. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game this past season.

While it's unclear if the Lakers will entertain trade calls for James, it appears he's unbothered by all the outside noise.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

On Friday afternoon, James shared a few videos of him golfing on Instagram.

James revealed that he just started playing golf. It hasn't been easy, but the four-time NBA champion enjoys the challenge.

"Day 2 of officially trying this out," James wrote for his caption. "Boy o Boy it's a mind [expletive] to say the least! But I think I enjoy that part of it a lot! Haha! Got a long [expletive] way to go at this sport and I'll still be some [expletive] but hey it's a great time out there! @teamswish asked me for a vid so here you go my guy! Slid 4 is so funny to me!"