"I am not prepared to talk about the post-LeBron era" - Adam Silver believes LeBron James won't retire soon, outlines he's still one of the best players in the league

LeBron James has said that his final year in the league will be the 2024-25 season when his son Bronny is expected to enter the NBA. However, league commissioner Adam Silver is not ready for the inevitable, that is the NBA without 'The King'.

The commissioner recently spoke to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports to discuss the future of the NBA, with James possibly gone in three seasons. Silver noted that he's not planning to anoint the next player to represent the league, as James is still one of the best players in the league, having won his fourth NBA title in 2020.

"I want to be absolutely clear. I am not prepared to talk about the post-LeBron era. And I don't think it's because I'm in denial. He won a championship less than a year and a half ago. From my standpoint, LeBron is still playing at the very highest level in the league," Silver said.

Silver is right that James is still one of the best players in the league. In his 19th NBA season, the 37-year-old is averaging 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game for a poor LA Lakers team. He's currently third in scoring and fourth in minutes per game in the league.

It's unclear who'll carry the torch once James calls time on his illustrious career in 2025. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry will be in their mid-30s at that point, while Kawhi Leonard is too stoic and quiet to do it. The NBA's best bets are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, but they are all international players.

Zion Williamson would have been perfect for the role, but he can't stay in shape or healthy at the moment. Ja Morant is starting to turn heads, but his style of play might not be sustainable in the long term. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see what the league would look like when 'The King' is no longer in the NBA.

---

LeBron James confirms when he'll retire

LeBron James at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

LeBron James has not been shy in admitting that he wants to play with his son Bronny in the NBA. In an interview with The Athletic, James confirmed that his final year in the league will be the 2024-25 season, when Bronny is expected to start his career.

"My last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point," James said.

Bronny James is currently a junior at Sierra Canyon High School and ranked 34th in his class. He is eligible to be drafted in 2024 after one season of college basketball. Big schools such as Duke, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas were linked with him late last year.