LeBron James, at 40 years old, is preparing to make history once again in the NBA. On Monday, during the Los Angeles Lakers media day, the star wore his gold number 23 jersey and made it clear that his mind is on the court, not on paper. He will be the first player to play 23 seasons in the league, breaking the record he shared with Vince Carter.

But, for the first time in eight seasons with the Angels, he will do so without a guaranteed contract beyond this season.

The uncertainty surrounding his contractual future does not worry him. “It won't have any impact,” James told ESPN. “I'm super excited for the challenges and the excitement of our team. We've added some new players. We've completed another year with our coaching staff since last year. I had a full year with Luka [Doncic] and another year with the players I've been with. I'm super excited about that. And I'm not worried about contracts at this point in my career. That doesn't worry me at all.”

The Lakers' challenges and LeBron's motivation

The four-time NBA champion exercised his player option for $52.6 million in June. His agent, Rich Paul, explained at the time that James' priority is clear: "He wants to compete for a championship" and knows the Lakers "are building for the future." The Los Angeles team arrives under pressure to improve on their performance last season, where they finished third in the West but were eliminated in the first round by Minnesota. Doncic, his star partner, left no room for interpretation: "Winning a championship. That's the goal." James, for his part, offered a broader vision: "That we be thorough every day. We have to be detailed in everything, both offensively and defensively. We have to hold each other accountable and play championship basketball every day." Health will be another key factor. After spraining his left knee in the last postseason, LeBron acknowledged that his goal is to get as close to 100% as possible in an 82-game season. "That's always the challenge," he said.“I'm still improving. I'm not where I want to be, but I have time.”

Regarding his retirement, James was clear: it won't depend on his son Bryce's arrival in the NBA. “I'm not going to wait for Bryce. He has his own schedule. I have my timeline, and I don't know if they match up completely.”