Nearing 38 years old, James is looking to win and cement his legacy.

After a Los Angeles Lakers' 112-98 loss to the Miami Heat, LeBron James was asked about his future in the NBA and how long he might continue playing.

James replied: “I don't have a number. I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute.

“Now, that's up to my mind. My body is going to be OK because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I'll continue to put in the work.”

Although the Lakers lost, James had a strong night, leading the Lakers in points (27), rebounds (9) and assists (6). However, his individual stats haven’t kept the Lakers from falling to 14-21 this season.

James continued: “I'm a winner, and I want to win. And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That has always been my passion.

“That has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio.And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA.

“It's not in my DNA anymore. So we'll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple years.”

His time with the Lakers hasn’t been nearly as successful as his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, especially with Anthony Davis sidelined.

Lakers VP of Basketball Operations and GM Rob Pelinka added: “Let me be abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game, and he committed to us on a long-term contract, a three-year contract.

“So of course, we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals to give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end. He committed to our organization. That's got to be a bilateral commitment, and it's there.”