Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

LeBron James Makes Announcement Amid 23rd NBA Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 11:44 PM ET

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers made it three wins in a row on Tuesday night to keep their undefeated record in 2026 alive. James turned in a strong performance to lead the Lakers to a 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer dropped 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, a block and three triples in 33 minutes of action.

The Lakers are back in action on Wednesday as they face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. It’s the second night of a back-to-back set for L.A., and James has revealed his status for the game.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the LA Clippers.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

James turned 41 on Dec. 30. He is the oldest active player in the NBA. Given this fact, the four-time NBA champion forward has made his plans for the remainder of the season clear.

When asked about his status for the Spurs game on Wednesday, James confirmed he is currently “TBD,” meaning to be determined. The 21-time All-Star also stated that this will be the case for him the rest of the way when it comes to back-to-back games.

“Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD,” James said. “I am 41, I got the most minutes in NBA history … bank it right now.”

“Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD. I am 41, I got the most minutes in NBA history … bank it right now” - LeBron James on his status for Wednesday vs. San Antonio pic.twitter.com/Ur9MWzTn1X
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 7, 2026

It is worth noting that James has not played in a back-to-back set this season. The last two games he sat out were both part of back-to-back sets. This is after James missed the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season due to sciatica.

This means there’s a good chance James will be sidelined on Wednesday night for rest purposes. The Lakers have two more back-to-back sets coming up this month, on Jan. 12 and 13, and on Jan. 17 and 19.

L.A. improved to 23-11 after its win over New Orleans. They are now just one game behind the Spurs for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio lost its second straight game on Tuesday, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies, 106-105.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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