Lakers star LeBron James has decided to play one more year in pursuit of his fifth NBA championship, with retirement timing still drawing widespread attention.

On June 30th Beijing time, the 40-year-old NBA Lakers icon LeBron James decided to extend his career by one more year, striving for his fifth championship and stepping into his 23rd season, further cementing his legacy.

LeBron James

This season, James realized the dream of sharing the court with his son Bronny, posting averages of 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds. Although he missed continuing his streak of 20 consecutive seasons averaging at least 25 points per game, he still earned a place on the All-NBA Second Team, becoming the first 40-year-old player in history to be named to an annual All-NBA team. However, the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, ending their season early.

James holds four NBA championship rings, and his primary goal in the twilight of his career remains winning another title. His agent, Rich Paul, confirmed that LeBron will exercise his player option worth $52.6 million to continue competing for championships. Having played 22 seasons tied with Vince Carter for the most in league history, next season will mark his 23rd, setting a new record. Additionally, with 1,562 regular-season games played, he is just 50 games shy of surpassing former Celtic great Robert Parish's record.

LeBron's retirement timing continues to attract attention. Recently, he dined with his wife and former teammate Kevin Love and his spouse. In a video shared by a friend present, LeBron mentioned that his wife hopes he retires next year, leading U.S. media to comment that whether LeBron will extend his career into a 24th season remains uncertain.