Gilbert Arenas thinks LeBron will prolong his career for two years because of Luka Doncic

It’s amazing to witness LeBron James still dominating NBA competition in his 23rd season. Despite the fact that he’s going to be 41 in a month or so, James has continued to be effective as his basketball career nears its end.

However, he can’t do it the way he used to.

The days of the King carrying his teams single-handedly are over because he got too many basketball miles on his shoes.

Nobody has played more minutes in the history of the NBA than James and knowing that his Los Angeles Lakers have a shot to compete for a championship, LeBron knew he had to take a backseat to Luka Doncic.

Doncic effect

If you have a Slovenian superstar on your squad, you have a chance at a title. At 26 years of age, Luka is approaching the prime of his career and he needs the ball in his hands a lot to be the most effective, similarly to LeBron when he was in his prime.

It’s not that James can’t do that anymore at all. It’s just that he can’t do it consistently every single night and still be the best player on the championship-contending team.

Gilbert Arenas, a known Laker and LeBron fan, is well aware of it.

“It is LeBron James, we get it. But when you’re 39, 40, 41, you can’t go out there and expand all this energy at this point in your career. So, you needed someone to take that heavy lifting for you. We thought it was going to be Anthony Davis here in L.A., but he just didn’t get over the hump. So, bringing in Luka who demands the ball even more than Anthony Davis or LeBron would and he’s basically unathletic LeBron… It makes LeBron a spot-shooter and conserves energy,” Arenas admitted on the “REVOLT Sports” podcast three days ago.

He also had a prediction in mind.

“I think being with Luka will put two more years on his career,” Gil said.

LeBron might’ve already retired without the Luka trade

Whatever James decides to do in the coming years, his basketball immortality is intact. Four championships, four Finals and regular seasons MVPs and the All-Time scoring leader title are just a drop in the sea of accolades that have made him the only worthy opponent to Michael Jordan when it comes to the GOAT debate.

Yet, a chance to win the ultimate prize once again is what keeps him going.

In reality, if the Lakers had never traded for Doncic, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had already retired. Yes, James won a title with AD, but that was years ago and it was obvious their best years together were behind them. Getting a young superstar who led the Dallas Mavericks to a Finals appearance just a year before he was traded must’ve felt like a gift from God himself to James.

So, yes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play 25 seasons in the NBA. Even though he’s nowhere near his physical prime, nobody takes care of his body like James and with the privilege of following Doncic’s lead, there is no doubt Bron sees a real shot at the championship.

He can’t be the best player on that kind of run anymore, but being able to pick and choose his spots, James can be the key factor to push the team over the hump.

The only tricky thing is that nobody has ever defeated Father Time.

Sadly, LeBron will not win against it either; it’s only a matter of time before the wheels fall off.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Gilbert Arenas thinks LeBron will prolong his career for two years because of Luka Doncic

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