LeBron James has another record to shatter in the 2025-26 NBA season with the Lakers.
LeBron James Will Set New Personal Record if He Starts Next NBA Season on the Lakers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025-26 season will be LeBron James' record-breaking 23rd season in the NBA, as the Los Angeles Lakers forward will break Vince Carter's record of 22 consecutive seasons on opening night.
There has been chatter around James's future with the franchise after he opted into the $52.6 million player option on his contract, but his representation made it clear that he intends to start the next season with the Lakers.
James will set a new personal record on opening night with the Lakers, one that many thought he might never reach.
LeBron James' Eighth Season On The Lakers Will Set A Record Many Didn't Know About
The 2025-26 season will be James's eighth with the Lakers. He has never played that many consecutive seasons for any franchise in his career, with his longest stint being seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010). He spent four years with the Miami Heat (2010-14) and four years back at the Cavaliers (2014-18) before joining the Lakers in 2018.
As a result, his Lakers tenure will officially become his longest continuous partnership with a franchise in his NBA career.
James' first season as a Laker came in 2018-19 after he joined the team as a free agent. He was coming off eight straight NBA Finals appearances in the Eastern Conference, now aiming to conquer the West. While he did win a title in 2020, he hasn't replicated that dominance.
He's averaged 26.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists over the last seven seasons, making the All-NBA and All-Star teams every year. Whether he continues that streak in his eighth season will be fascinating to watch.
LeBron's decision to join the Lakers was something many assumed was retirement-focused in 2018, but opening night in 2025-26 will mark this as LeBron's longest continuous commitment to any team in his career, something very few expected at the time.
Will LeBron James End The Season As A Laker?
After reports of a potential move outside of Los Angeles came alive in the offseason, fans around the NBA have been eyeing all potential hints on what LeBron intends to do with his future. With the Lakers firmly focusing on Luka Doncic, speculation about a LeBron exit has been rife.
Official sources have made it clear that LeBron won't agitate for a trade and that the Lakers don't intend on trading him right now anyway, but things change over the season.
If the Lakers aren't competitive enough, a LeBron trade might bring Doncic a more complementary co-star for the future while sending LeBron to a win-now destination. But James has a no-trade clause in his contract, so any decision to switch teams mid-season will be dictated by him.
For now, we should assume James will finish next season with the Lakers, as he has never been traded before in his career.
But he also hadn't played eight straight seasons with a franchise before, so maybe the belief that 'anything can happen' in the NBA will be one fans will cling to.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
