Los Angeles, California - As the Lakers experience a horrendous 2-9 start to the NBA season with their star athlete dealing with a lower leg injury, it begs the question: is LeBron James near the end of his basketball career?

After 20 seasons deep in the league, James, One of the oldest active players today, may be facing his toughest year yet.

For the first time since his rookie season, the four-time NBA champion dropped to a 0-4 start this year and since then, things have only gone downhill with his Lakers team.

On Wednesday, James seemed to have hit the peak of his struggles after being benched late in the Lakers' double overtime loss to the Bucks.

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While James did finish with good stats on the board – 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists – it still wasn't enough to dig out a win, and Los Angeles ate their fourth straight double-digit defeat.

Now, fans far and wide are worried that with the talented group of young players rising in the league, his dominance on the court might be nearing the end.

It's no secret King James wants to play in the NBA with his two sons Bronny and Bryce before retiring.

But seeing how his play has been shaping up this season, that might not be his reality.

While James can possibly hold onto his playing career to become his eldest son's teammate, the Los Angeles hooper may not have enough to last another four years waiting for 15-year-old son Bryce.

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Currently, James has been carrying the Lakers team on his back, and by the looks of his performance, it seems to be weighing him down.

After missing the playoffs last year, it seems to be that the Lakers are indeed in contention to miss out again.

With a poorly constructed roster surrounding the superstar, it seems that the only option in saving James' low spark on the court and the Lakers losing streak is a possible trade.

Likely, someone needs to step up to improve the team's shooting if they want any chance of saving their season.

The Lakers are set to face the Sacramento Kings on Friday at 10:30 PM ET. James has not announced whether he will play amid his injury.