The bet LeBron James wouldn’t have made when joining Lakers

At the age of 41, LeBron James remains on top of his game. It was he who led the Los Angeles Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round. Now they face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals beginning on Tuesday night.

Still, the concept of James still being one of the best at 41 is not something he envisioned, as he told co-host Steve Nash on their Mind the Game podcast.

“I knew I still had a lot left in the tank when I came to this franchise… but to say 8 years later at 41 I would be leading a team into the postseason & coming out with a series win… I wouldn’t have bet on that,” James said.

"I knew I still had a lot left in the tank when I came to this franchise… but to say 8 years later at 41 I would be leading a team into the postseason & coming out with a series win… I wouldn't have bet on that."

—LeBron James

(via @mindthegamepod)pic.twitter.com/bufbrSXh4M

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 5, 2026

In July 2018, James signed a four-year, $153.3 million contract with the Lakers. He had just come off leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in 2016. James was brought in to help restore the storied franchises’ championship pedigree in the post-Kobe Bryant era.

Since then, James has accomplished plenty in Los Angeles. From 2019 to 2024, he was an NBA All-Star. In 2020, the Lakers won the NBA championship, and James was Finals MVP. Three years later, James surpassed Kareem Abdul Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

That same year, the Lakers won the NBA Cup Championship with James receiving MVP honors.

Despite rumors of an impending retirement, James continues to defy the adage about aging athletes. He played in 60 games this year and averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds.

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