"23 coming soon": LeBron James hits the road in the dark to begin monumental season amid retirement buzz

LeBron James entered the NBA as the No. 1 pick in 2003, and 22 years later, is still among the top players in the game. That type of longevity is unheard of, as those who played in the league for this long weren't this good at this point in their careers.

Judging by his Instagram stories on Monday, the season can't start soon enough for James:

"Let's get it! Year 23 coming soon!" James wrote in an Instagram story.

Image via LeBron James' IG

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The post showed him getting in a car in the dark at 4:49 am, most likely going to train ahead of the upcoming campaign.

While LeBron James' career has been one for the ages, all good things eventually come to an end, and his time in the NBA is nearing the finish line. According to Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, it won't be much longer before he announces that this will be his final season in the NBA.

"All the stars have aligned for the 2025-26 season to be James' last, especially since he has always talked about playing 23 years in the NBA, which represents both his and Michael Jordan's iconic number," Siegel wrote last week. "Word from Summer League is that if LeBron is to announce his retirement, he will do so in August. Time will tell what the immediate future holds for James."

James is poised to break two more records this season: Most seasons played (23) and most games played (1,612), and there won't be a lot of milestones left to achieve after that point.

Nikola Jokic's agent teases plans with LeBron James

A social media post fueled plenty of speculation over the weekend that LeBron James might be ready to take his talents somewhere else. Misko Raznatovic, Nikola Jokic's agent, turned heads by sharing a photo of himself, James, and his lifelong friend and business partner, Maverick Carter, at St. Tropez:

“The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!” the post read.

While it's unclear when the photo was taken, the timing of the post got people talking. However, given that the meeting was with Carter and not Rich Paul, LeBron's agent, it's possible they're teasing a joint business endeavor, rather than a massive NBA move.

Edited by John Maxwell