"Too expensive and too old" - Colin Cowherd predicts next season will be the last in the career of LeBron James
How strange is it that not too long ago, when LeBron James was keeping the Los Angeles Lakers afloat during the stretch where Anthony Davis was traded and Luka Doncic was finding his footing on a new team, the narrative around The King was that he still had what it takes to lead a franchise to a title. But fast forward just a few months and the conversation has changed drastically.
Now, speculations are swirling that LeBron's days in the league are numbered and Colin Cowherd has fueled that fire by boldly proclaiming the 2025-26 season will be the Akron native's final one.
Colin explains why the 2025-26 season is LeBron's "Last Dance"
What makes this shift even more puzzling is that James logged an average of 24.4 points and 8.2 assists per game, earning an All-NBA Second Team selection in the process and ranking sixth in the MVP voting at the age of 40 and in Year 22.
So, there's no disputing his production on the court, as he is evidently more impactful than the majority of players in the league. Not so surprisingly for Cowherd, production isn't an issue with LBJ.
The real issue lies in the economics. LeBron is set to earn over $52 million in the upcoming 2025-26 season, which is currently the highest on the Lakers roster. Addressing the same, Cowherd pointed out how in a league that is focusing more on building young cores that can chase championships for more years, LeBron hinders the long-term championship window with his inability to take a lesser paycheck.
"People around the NBA believe LeBron may announce this is his last season. And I do buy that for two reasons primarily. Number one: Clearly, the Lakers feel Luka is the future. Here's the other thing: LeBron's too expensive and too old. Everything with LeBron operates in the near term. Nobody operates like that now that they know what they're doing. So, LeBron's just the new casualty of the new CBA," Cowherd said. "It's not his play, he's a top 10, 12 player on any night, but he is now, hard to sign. He's an old expensive guy," Colin stated.For how long can LeBron continue?
Given that the notion of Father Time finally caught up, or James' presence hinders a team, isn't a new theme. While his athletic dominance may not be what it once was, his impact on and off the court remains elite.
The marketability, the ratings, the jersey sales, LeBron still draws attention like few others in sports. Thus, it is no surprise that the Lakers haven't distanced themselves from him; financially, he's still a major asset.
So, yes, while it is true that Luka should be the No. 1 player for the Purple and Gold going forward, LeBron has never been a superstar who has felt threatened in passing the baton.
Rather, the latter has wanted someone else to carry the team's heavy load for some time in L.A. now, while he works more without having so much ball in his hands.
While things could go haywire if the Lakers fail in the upcoming season, it remains to be seen if James' high-earning salary is the root cause of it.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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