For LeBron James, the legend, there won’t be a debate as to what his legacy will be once he retires from the game. But the King has his own ideas about what it should encompass. So, what exactly is his legacy?
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To most, retiring as the greatest basketball player to ever walk the earth would be James’ legacy. To the four-time NBA champion, with 21 All-Star selections, 4 MVP awards, and three Olympic medals, it is everything else he’s done outside the basketball court.
Following the LA Lakers’ 122-109 win against the Brooklyn Nets, LeBron was asked about what people might be talking about him in 20 years. It’s not the first time he has been asked this question, but rarely has he ever spoken about it so candidly.
While James admitted that basketball had given him a life and an opportunity to inspire the coming generations, his legacy is always going to be his children. “My legacy is my kids, that’s the most important [one],” he said.
“My kids, my community, my family. That’s all that matters to me. Basketball, and things of that nature, obviously have given me an unbelievable platform to do the things that I love to do and given me the opportunity to inspire the youth over 23 years, the last 2 decades, but my legacy is going to go through my kids,” LeBron asserted.
“For me personally, my legacy is going to go through my kids, go through my community, and the things that I do to continue to inspire. It will be talked through [by] other folks, and hopefully in a good way,” he added.
LeBron James on what he wants his legacy to be:
“My legacy is my kids. That’s the most important. My kids, my community, my family. That’s all that matters to me. Basketball has given me an unbelievable platform to inspire the youth, but my legacy is going to go through my… pic.twitter.com/4WobKIBfjv
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) February 4, 2026
LeBron already has a son playing in the NBA, and that too for the LA Lakers. When James played with Bronny James for the first time, they became the first father-son duo to play together and score points in a game. Bronny is still raw, and even though he is unlikely to touch the greatness his father has attained, he still has a long career ahead of him.
When it comes to LeBron, analysts will argue that his greatest accomplishment will be the longevity of his basketball career. He has played 23 seasons at the top of the league. 23 and counting. And even at 41, undoubtedly in the twilight of his career, LeBron is averaging 22 points per game.
At the moment, without a contract extension with the Lakers, LeBron’s future is uncertain. He might very well call it a day when this season ends. A better and more hopeful bet would see him try and pair up with someone like Stephen Curry and maybe, just maybe, find enough fuel to race for that 5th NBA championship.
