LeBron James is still doing things no one his age has. In a recent game against Dallas, he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second on the NBA’s all-time games played list — 1,561 appearances and counting. He didn’t just mark the milestone, he owned it: 27 points in a 112–97 win over the Mavericks. That’s the dichotomy of LeBron in Year 22 — greatness is expected, not applauded. But what’s not visible in the highlights is what makes it all possible.

LeBron’s performance in this game was a reminder of what it takes to keep doing this. Not just the work, but the choices — the ones that spill over into family life, too. His commitment doesn’t end at the arena doors. It extends into his personal routine, like being in bed by 9 p.m. most nights.

LeBron revealed in a lighthearted conversation that his 9 p.m. shutdown routine has become a running joke in the James household. “‘What time you going to bed?’ she (Savannah) asks. ‘You’re going to sleep?’ Yeah, like, I am.” It’s all part of a routine that prioritizes recovery above everything else. And while Savannah supports it, she’s also admitted that his early lights-out habit is something that she isn’t too fond of.

But that minor household tension speaks to a bigger truth: the sheer discipline behind LeBron’s longevity. However, following the Lakers’ playoff-clinching win, LeBron didn’t sugarcoat what the last few years of following this routine have felt like.

“It’s very important — you get that week off,” he said. “Being a part of the Play-In the last couple years is just… you know, anything can happen. So for us to know that we’re top six — I mean, in the format that it is right now — anytime you get some rest… I speak for myself, anytime I get a week off not playing ball, I’ll take it. I’ll take it.”

Translation? At this stage, even LeBron needs a breather.

And it raises the inevitable question — how much longer can he keep doing this? LeBron’s been dodging it — and he admits as much. Retirement is a thought that’s showing up more often, but mentally, he’s not ready to walk away. Not because he can’t produce, but because he’s still locked in. Still showing up five hours early. Still studying the scout sheet.

But as the toll of each season grows, and with each honest admission about fatigue and recovery, it’s clear that the window is narrowing. The real question now isn’t if he’ll retire — it’s when. And what will finally be the thing that tells him it’s time? Because these days, he’s not just thinking about the next game — he’s thinking about the next generation.

The Family, The Future, and the Fight to Stay Present

LeBron’s grind doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in a house with kids, with a wife who’s also built a brand of her own, and in a life that’s constantly balancing spotlight with solitude.

That’s why Savannah’s qualms about his schedule are so telling. It’s not just about going to bed early. It’s about the trade-offs. The dinners missed. The movies paused. The time you never get back. And for someone like LeBron, whose career has always demanded precision, those moments are as much a part of the cost as any injury.Still, he shows no signs of mentally checking out.

On The Pat McAfee Show, he laid it out plainly: “If it gets to the point where I don’t feel like showing up to the arena 5 hours in advance or I don’t feel like training or I don’t feel like studying the scout sheet… if it gets to that point, I know it’s a wrap.” And yet, the desire to keep playing — maybe even alongside his sons — lingers. Bronny is already in the league’s orbit, and Bryce isn’t far behind. LeBron has long spoken about his dream to share the court with one of them, maybe even both. It’s the kind of legacy move that no athlete has ever pulled off.

NBA insiders say LeBron still has “runway left.” He himself has said he could play five to seven more years “if he really wanted to.” But as of now, he’s just taking it season by season, quietly watching his sons’ paths unfold and hoping the timelines align.

For the Lakers, that means they’ve still got one of the greatest leaders in the game, even if that comes with load management and a strict curfew. And for fans? It means watching the GOAT in real-time — a little slower, a little stiffer, but no less brilliant.

Whatever happens this postseason, LeBron James’s already won something bigger: the right to rest, the wisdom to admit when he needs it, and the discipline to keep going — even if it means turning the lights out before prime time.