The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is aiming to win his third gold medal in Paris.

Jul 2, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James watches at a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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LeBron James is on the verge of embarking on another Olympics journey, aiming to add a third gold medal and another accolade to the rich tapestry that is his basketball career. It is also going to be the last.

Speaking to Drew Weisholtz of Today!, the Lakers superstar definitively stated he will “not be there” for the 2028 Olympics taking place in Los Angeles. In both a figurative and literal sense.

“No, I won’t be there,” James said when asked about the 2028 Games. “I’m getting the hell out of that city when the Olympics come to Los Angeles. All right, I’ll live there all year. I will not be in Los Angeles in ‘28. I’m getting out of there.”

The news should not come as a surprise to anybody. LeBron will be 43 years old when the Olympics come to North America. It’s frankly remarkable he managed to stay healthy (and good) enough to play in this year’s games in Paris. Even for the seemingly ageless all-time great, leading Team USA to a gold medal after turning 40 is a stretch.

It does, though, serve as a reminder that LeBron’s career does have an expiration date and it’s coming soon. In the wake of signing his two-year extension with the Lakers, James said it could very well his final contract in the NBA.

In the meantime, all we can do as fans is appreciate greatness while it’s happening in front of us. And based off his training camp performances, it seems LeBron has enough juice for one final great show in front of the entire world when the Paris Games kick off.