ESPN’s Shams Charania reported June 30 that LeBron James will extend his career into an unprecedented 24th season in 2026-27 and change teams. James showed little decline in 2025-26, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds in the postseason while playing 38.4 minutes per game and helping the Los Angeles Lakers win a first-round series over the Houston Rockets with Luka Don?i?c sidelined by a hamstring strain.
Hours after the LeBron news, Serena Williams, 44, returned to Wimbledon for her first singles match in nearly four years, falling to Maya Jansen 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion announced earlier in the month that she was returning to compete in singles and would join her sister Venus in doubles at Wimbledon.
The pair’s jointly newsworthy day served as a reminder that long careers are rare but not unprecedented. According to ESPN, Tom Brady continued to produce late into his career, winning four of his seven Super Bowl rings after turning 37. In his penultimate season at age 44 he led the NFL with 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns; from his age-40 season to retirement he threw 193 touchdowns with a 65.6 percent completion rate and added an MVP award.
Also cited by ESPN, Peyton Manning missed the 2011 season due to neck surgery and left the Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Denver Broncos at age 36. Over the final four seasons of his Hall of Fame career Manning threw for 17,112 yards, 140 touchdowns and 53 interceptions and closed his career by leading Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar produced strong numbers late as well, averaging 23.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his age-38 season and winning three of his six titles and an NBA Finals MVP after turning 37. In the WNBA, Sue Bird made the All-Star Game in four of her final five seasons, helped the Seattle Storm to titles in 2018 and 2020 and averaged 7.1 assists in her age-37 season; Diana Taurasi made All-Star teams in her age-36, 39 and 42 seasons and averaged 14.9 points, 3.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds in her final campaign, according to ESPN.
ESPN also highlighted long careers in baseball. Barry Bonds hit 73 homers at age 36 and won four straight MVPs; in 2004 at age 39 he posted an on-base percentage of .609, drew 232 walks including 120 intentional, and finished his final season at 42 sixth in the league in OPS at 1.045. Willie Stargell was described as the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Pirates, with his late-30s play standing out after a 1976 OPS of .797 and a subsequent rebound, according to ESPN.
