Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić told the Wall Street Journal‘s Jason Gay he doesn’t plan on playing in the NBA as long as his teammate LeBron James is.
James, who will turn 41 in December, is set to break the record for most NBA seasons played when he returns for his 23rd campaign this fall.
When asked by Gay if he saw himself playing in the NBA at age 41, Dončić answered: “No, I don’t think so.”
Dončić told Gay that owning a sports team is “something I’m very, very interested in.”
Gay noted that Dončić’s interest in sports ownership extends to other sports outside of basketball.
Dončić, 26, is heading into his eighth NBA season and first full campaign with the Lakers.
He agreed to a three-year, $165 million extension in August that is currently set him to keep him with the Lakers through at least his age-28 season in 2027-28.
After that, Dončić could potentially represent his home nation of Slovenia when the next summer Olympics take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I always want to represent my country,” Dončić told Gay about the 2028 Olympics.
Dončić then has a $57.6 million player option in place for his age-29 season in 2028-29.
Like James, Dončić could potentially get involved in sports team ownership before the end of his playing career.
James initially purchased a one percent stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns sports franchises including the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins and Liverpool FC, in 2021.
After becoming the first active NBA player to be named a billionaire by Forbes, James increased his FSG equity in 2023 as part of a lifetime marketing deal, per Sportico.
Although currently restricted by rules limiting players to minority shares in NBA teams, James told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps in 2023 that his “ultimate” goal is to purchase an expansion team in Las Vegas.
James is currently heading into his age-41 season on an expiring contract with the Lakers. It sounds like Dončić will be watching to see if James ends up making a bid for NBA team ownership after he eventually decides to retire.
