The league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, has made it official: He will be returning to the NBA for a record-tying 22nd season. The Los Angeles Lakers may have his son Bronny on their roster.
On Wednesday, an individual familiar with the contract talks revealed that James has accepted a two-year deal to remain with the Lakers. The source told the Associated Press that James might be a free agent again next summer due to the player option in the second year of the deal, as it had not been publicly revealed. A no-trade clause is also likely to be included in the pact.According to ESPN, the Lakers and Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, who represents LeBron James, may settle on a contract that is just below the maximum that James was eligible for. This would allow the franchise to avoid the second apron and maintain some roster flexibility in the future.
In any case, James is projected to earn roughly $50 million this upcoming season, bringing his lifetime on-court earnings to about $530 million and making him the first player in NBA history to surpass $500 million.
With 22 NBA seasons under his belt, James will tie Vince Carter for most career seasons in the league. With the recent hiring of his podcast partner as head coach and the use of a second-round draft pick on LeBron’s eldest son, the Lakers are positioning themselves to have the first father-son tandem in NBA history playing together on the court.
The deal’s completion removes a necessary logistical hurdle: LeBron James was waiting for a new contract to be finalized before he could begin practicing with USA Basketball in Las Vegas this weekend, when the team will begin preparing for the Paris Olympics. For the fourth time, James will compete in the Olympics. His last appearance was in 2012, when he helped the United States capture gold in London.
Even though he’ll be turning 40 in December, he was the league’s oldest active player last season, averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.
James ranks fourth all-time in assists with 11,009, sixth in games played with 1,492, ninth in 3-pointers made with 2,410, and second in steals with 2,275. He also leads the league in points scored with 40,474.
Not only did he make it onto the All-NBA squad 20 times, but he was also selected to the All-Star team 20 times. Not only that, he is the youngest and oldest player in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA team, respectively.
Both Tim Duncan (2014) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985–1986) were on the verge of turning 39 as the regular seasons concluded, marking the end of their respective All-NBA campaigns. James appeared in 71 games last season, with 42 of those games being after his 39th birthday.