Charles Barkley hopes that LeBron James will retire soon.

As the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is yet to play a game in his record-breaking 23rd NBA season, Barkley expressed concerns about James.

“I hope he leaves sooner than later, 'cause I hate to see great players out there struggling,” Barkley said about James on ‘The Jim Rome Show.”

Barkley went on to share how he was not at his best near the end of his career.

“I really struggled my last year, probably my last two years. It was very frustrating and humiliating for me,” Barkley recalled. “Obviously, LeBron is a better player than me, but I don’t want to see great players just hanging on.”

“I would love to see him have a farewell tour, then just walk away because he’s one of the three greatest players I’ve ever seen after Michael and Kobe," Barkley said. "So, I don’t want to see him hanging on just for the heck of it. But father time is always gonna win.”

Since the beginning of the season James has been sidelined with sciatica forcing him to miss his first opening night in 23 years.

Last year, James continued to defy the limits of age and longevity with another spectacular year. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game, earning him his 21st All-Star selection and All-NBA honors. 

In his absence, the Lakers have gotten off to a hot start. Currently, they are 7-2 led by the amazing exploits of Luka Dončić  and Austin Rivers