Even as he closes in on his 40th birthday, LeBron James is still going strong in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. While he is certainly going to be more focused on helping lead the Lakers back to the top of the mountain this upcoming campaign after a disappointing 2023-24 season, there's no doubt that retirement is creeping up for James.

What LeBron ends up doing in retirement is a mystery, although it's fair to assume he will remain around the game of basketball in some capacity. In a recent post on Instagram, though, the Lakers star joked that he could end up going to college to play football once his time in the NBA is over.

Could LeBron James actually play college football if he wanted to?

LeBron James cheers in the second half between France and the United States in the women's gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

This claim is obviously being made in jest, as James probably isn't going to have much of a desire to put himself in harm's way on the football field after a lengthy career in the NBA. And yet, while it may seem impossible, LeBron could technically play college football after his basketball days are over if he really wanted to.

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James skipped college during his youth by going straight from high school to the NBA, and it's worked out pretty well for him considering all the success he's enjoyed so far. However, that also means that he hasn't used up any of his NCAA eligibility, so he could technically say that he wants to use it once he retires, even though he is going to be over 40 years old.

It would be unprecedented for sure, but James could technically play college football once he retires if he wanted to. Given all the wear and tear his body has taken from basketball, though, and the fact that he hasn't played football since his high school days, it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Still, James is wildly athletic, so it's fair to wonder whether he could actually find any success on the football field.

This would obviously be pretty interesting to see, but the chances of it actually coming to fruition are slim to none. LeBron is still working on solidifying his NBA legacy with the Lakers, and if he can add another championship to his resume, chances are he'd be pretty content with riding off into the sunset and never looking back.