LeBron James Looks Officially Washed
“He didn’t have any lift. He didn’t have any burst," Brian Windhorst said about LeBron.
LeBron James is officially washed.
On Thursday, the Lakers forward failed to score at least 10 points for the first time since Jan. 5, 2007, ending a record-setting streak of 1,297 consecutive games with double-digit scoring. Michael Jordan holds the second-longest streak at 866.
But it’s not the broken streak that matters. It’s what it represents. For the first time in 23 NBA seasons, LeBron James looks slow, tentative, and better suited for a supporting role. He looks like someone who will turn 41 this month.
This isn’t a knock on James. The fact that it’s taken two decades to say he looks "old" is a testament to one of the most remarkable runs in sports history.
For much of the past decade, he has remained among the league’s best all-around players. In the three seasons prior, he averaged 24.4, 25.7, and 28.9 points per game. Through six games this season, following a preseason nerve issue, he’s averaging just 14 points on 41.3 percent shooting, both of which are career lows.
ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, who has covered James since high school, acknowledged this week that James' age is showing for the first time on a consistent basis.
"He didn’t have any lift. He didn’t have any burst," Windhorst said on ESPN. "We haven’t really seen this from LeBron. I know that he’s shown his age at times over the last couple of seasons. This is the first time this year I’ve felt he’s looked this way."
And the injuries are mounting. Two weeks after returning to the lineup, James is listed as doubtful for Friday’s game in Boston with right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis.
While it's possible that he could recover and regain his form later this season, history suggests otherwise. For athletes, the fall is rarely gradual. It's a cliff.
In all likelihood, LeBron James' days as an NBA superstar are over – just like they were for Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal during their final seasons.
With his contract expiring after this season, the expectation is that he’ll retire either this year or next. Beyond pride or ego, it’s hard to see what’s left to prove.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers on December 4, 2025 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
For years, OutKick has criticized LeBron for his hypocrisy and social activism. Notably, he vowed never to "shut up and dribble" while asking others to stay silent on China’s human rights abuses to protect his business interests. But even his harshest critics recognize his legacy on the court.
In sum, James is universally regarded as one of the top five players in NBA history and is often ranked second all-time, behind only Jordan. That narrative gets no argument here.
There is perhaps no player in NBA history who impacted the game more as a scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender than James. Between three different franchises, he is a four-time champion, reaching a total of 10 NBA Finals, including eight consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2018.
But after two decades, it looks over.