LeBron James may have just signed what could be his final NBA contract, but judging by his latest Instagram post, retirement stress isn’t weighing him down, at least not on the golf course.

The 40-year-old Lakers star opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025–26 season, marking his record-setting 23rd year in the league. With trade rumors swirling and his wife Savannah reportedly nudging him toward retirement, fans are watching every move.

But on Friday, James gave fans something unexpected, in short: a golf video.
And it went viral for exactly the reason you’d expect.

The clip, posted on his Instagram account (@kingjames), had him teeing off at an undisclosed sunny course, cigar in mouth, dressed in a striped shirt and shorts plus a golf cap.

Talk about his swing? Just say it drew comparisons to Charles Barkley’s famously awkward form. “Day 2 of officially trying this out!” James wrote in the caption. “Boy o Boy it’s a mind f**k to say the least! But I think I enjoy that part of it a lot! Haha!”

He tagged friends and joked about Slide 4 being “so funny,” where his swing nearly missed the ball entirely.

The video quickly went viral on social media, making fans flood the comments with hilarious jabs from the golf world, including professionals.

PGA of America commented, “Uh oh, somebody is getting addicted to golf 😂,” followed by another comment saying, “Swing looks good, LeBron. We got you on the lessons when you’re ready 🤝.”

PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee too couldn’t control himself and joked, “Come a long way since the topgolf video 😂”

If all this was not enough, James’ NBA buddy Kevin Love too joined fans mocking the wide-open fairway. “Who created that course… Moses?,” he posted.

But not all reactions were teasing. Stephen Curry, a known golf enthusiast, welcomed LeBron with a warm six-word message, “Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Even the LAGC team from Tiger Woods‘s TGL also chimed in, typing, “A swing worthy of the 👑,” followed by: “@kingjames we can’t wait for this new journey!”

LeBron isn’t the only NBA legend turning to golf in the offseason. Just last week, Michael Jordan went viral for trash-talking NFL legend Lawrence Taylor on the greens.

“You really been on a motherf**king relaxation since retirement!” Jordan joked, pointing at Taylor’s slip-ons. The clip had fans in stitches and reminded everyone that golf is the go-to sport for retired greatness.

Other stars like Steph Curry, Dwyane Wade, and Klay Thompson have long embraced the game. Curry even won the 2023 American Century Championship and continues to promote youth golf through his Underrated Golf Tour.

More Golf: PGA Tour pro backs Max Homa in social media feud, predicts comeback