LeBron freaking James. pic.twitter.com/a6lnDvB5TD

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 7, 2026

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer began golfing when he turned 40, a goal he set for himself to give him a life in basketball.

“I told myself when I turned 40 that I wanted to do something that was maybe uncomfortable or never done in my life before. I never played golf in my life before, never followed the sport really. When I turned 40, I said it was that and chess; I’ve never played chess as well. So that will be next, but right now, I’m locked in on golf,” James told Melissa Rohlin of the California Post. “It’s something that I’ve really put a lot of time in. I love the sport, appreciate the sport. I love how difficult it is; I love a challenge. So, I look forward to putting more work in over the course of however long it takes me. But right now, I’m having a hell of a time playing.”

Since picking up the sport, James has openly shared his journey through picking up a hobby at which he isn’t the best in the world. He has involved himself with popular creators within the online golf sphere, recently collaborating with Bob Does Sports.

James’ enamoration with the sport clearly didn’t interfere with his production for the Lakers over the course of the season either, as he still managed more than 20 points per game at age 41. Only one other player averaged more than 10 points per game at age 41, being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with less than half of James’ season average. Additionally, James recorded 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last season.