LeBron James has agreed on a two-year NBA contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers which is worth a whopping $97.1 million, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. The deal, according to ESPN and The Athletic, includes a player option for the 2024-25 season, in which James could see his 17-year-old son Bronny become an NBA rookie.
The contract could be worth $111 million to the superstar forward if the NBA salary cap makes a major jump for the 2023-24 campaign. Terms would give James a career-guaranteed total earnings number of $532 million, edging the four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player ahead of Kevin Durant for the record-guaranteed career earnings total.
The 37-year-old has said that he wants to play through the 2024-25 season for the chance to play alongside his eldest son, a top high school prospect in Los Angeles. James, who would have been entering the final season of his Lakers’ contract in October, will now be able to negotiate a new deal or become a free agent in two seasons, the same options available to star teammate Anthony Davis.
The Lakers won their most recent NBA title in 2020 but missed the playoffs last season, going 33-49, and James was limited to 56 games by injuries although he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists a game.
James is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time and is often compared with the legendary Michael Jordan. James has won four NBA championships and has been also bestowed with four NBA MVP awards, four NBA Finals MVP awards, three All-Star MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. He also has scored the most points in the playoffs, the second most career points, and has the seventh most career assists.
James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Heat in 2012 and 2013; in both of these years, he also won the league’s MVP and Finals MVP awards. After his fourth season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract to re-sign with the Cavaliers.
