“Just Be Karl Malone!”: Clearing the Air About LeBron James’ $97,100,000 Decision, Rich Paul Talks About Lakers Star’s Retirement Age

LeBron James is the undisputed face of the NBA. While others may agree or not, whatever LeBron James does comes back and affects the NBA. In May, when the Nuggets eliminated the Lakers, Bron created a major ripple by contemplating retirement during the post-game presser. Since then, many fans were holding their breath to know whether Bron takes up the 2-year, $97,100,000 extension or whether he hangs up his boots. Speaking to SiriusXM NBA Radio, Rich Paul not only clarified that but also gave us an idea about what age could the Lakers’ star retire.

Rich Paul and LeBron James have known each other for 20 years now, and have found a ton of success together. Paul helped Bron become a billionaire, and in turn, Bron helped Rich become the famous agent he is. Having known LBJ for so long, Paul recently decided to comment on when the Lakers star might retire.

Rich Paul talks about a possible retirement age for LeBron James

It is hard to imagine NBA without LeBron James. He has played in the league for 20 seasons, during which time, he has been a consistent Top-5 player in the league. He took the world by surprise with his sudden retirement comments, but as of late, it’s become clear that he isn’t going anywhere. However, that did prompt SiriusXM NBA Radio hosts Frank Isola and Sarah Custok to ask Rich Paul about Bron playing till 43, 44, or 45 years of age.

Paul replied and said,

“He’s one guy that I’m not going to say no about. I think it’s important to understand what really motivates him. As long as his mind is there, as long as he’s still excited about playing the game, in addition to the health, absolutely. I always tease him, I say, “If your athleticism went away, just be Karl Malone. You can pick and pop, shoot the jumper, make the right reads.” He can literally play for as long as he wants to. At this point, obviously, he’s not playing for finances, he’s playing for the love of the game!”

“He’s one guy that I’m not going to say no about”

Rich Paul is asked if he thinks LeBron could play until he’s 44 or 45 years old@RichPaul4 | @TheFrankIsola | @sarahkustok pic.twitter.com/3Mz3ayHSbR

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 11, 2023

Karl Malone was a beast on the low block and had a deadly mid-range jumper. Rich Paul isn’t wrong. Once LBJ’s athleticism fades, Malone is not a bad person for LBJ to model his game after. Hopefully, that’s far away in the future, and we continue to see Bron dominate for many years to come.

LBJ seems excited about the upcoming season

As soon as free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers made quite a few moves. Not only did they re-sign D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, but they also added Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish.

As we saw on LBJ’s stories multiple times, he was ecstatic about these $191 Million moves and surely thinks they’d improve his chance of winning a 5th ring. We’ll have to see how things turn out once the season starts in October.