A Sad Day For Me: My All-Time Favourite Athlete is Officially Washed

This is a sad, sad day for me. My favorite athlete of all time, LeBron James, is officially washed. Now, let me be clear: LeBron is still better than a majority of NBA players. But compared to what he once was, even compared to last season, he’s a shell of himself. The greatness we came to expect from him simply isn’t there anymore.

One of the most jarring signs of LeBron's decline came tonight in a win against the Toronto Raptors as his legendary streak of scoring at least 10 points in a regular-season game was snapped. To be fair, he had flirting with this record coming to a close all-season long since he returned to the Lakers lineup, but tonight was the first time he failed to hit double digits in a regular-season matchup since 2007.

Yes, he had an 8-point game in Game 4 of the 2011 Finals, but in the regular season, this was the longest active streak in NBA history, and it’s now officially over.

To LeBron’s credit, the end of the streak wasn’t because he hunted stats. At the end of the game tonight, he could’ve forced a drive to the basket and probably earned a foul call because of who he is. Instead, he made the right basketball play, kicking the ball out to Rui Hachimura, who drained the buzzer beater against the Raptors to win the game for the Lakers.

Still, the eye test doesn’t lie. LeBron is simply not the same athlete.

Yes, he’s coming off an injury. Yes, he just returned to the lineup and has only played siz games this season. But even with that context, the drop-off is hard to ignore. The burst, the explosion, the intimidation factor, it’s not what it once was.

Last season he was still dominant, still an All-NBA-caliber force. But this year? I just don't think that version of LeBron is coming back. It’s sad to say, but it feels true.

I honestly don’t even remember seeing him dunk this year. Maybe he has, I’m sure I could look it up , but it hasn’t happened often enough to leave an impression. And as he transitions into more of an “old Magic Johnson” style of play, it’s become evident that he’s simply not the great NBA player he once was.

If I were LeBron, I’d be thinking about retirement.

This is Luka Dončić’s team now. The Lakers cannot run this awkward mix for another year. They need to commit to building around Austin Reaves and Luka going forward.

(And by the way… is Austin Reaves a top-15 player in the league right now? Because he is on fire to start)

So what should LeBron do?

Like I said, if I’m LeBron, I’m announcing this is my last season. He’s had a historic run, truly unbelievable, and he deserves to leave the league on his own terms.

Announce the retirement around Christmas Day. Make the moment about him, because he’s earned that. Then turn the latter half of the 2025–26 season into a proper farewell tour. Let every arena celebrate him. Let fans across the league appreciate the final chapter.

I know LeBron probably wanted to do the classic route: announce early, play an entire final season, visit every stadium. But because he missed the start of this year, that’s no longer realistic. And honestly, I don’t think we can do this “maybe he’s still got it” cycle again.

He should call it before things get worse. Not because it’s embarrassing now, but because another year like this could make it that way.

It’s sad to admit. But the signs are all there. The decline is real. And as much as it pains me, LeBron James is my favourite athlete ever, but he is simply no longer the player he used to be.

If he chooses to walk away soon, he’ll leave the game as a legend, with his legacy secure. And maybe that’s exactly how it should end.