LeBron James agrees to 2-year extension with Los Angeles Lakers, eyes father-son NBA debut
- James is expected to make around US$50 million this coming season, making him the first player to eclipse US$500 million in career NBA earnings
LeBron James is making it official: He’s coming back for a record-tying 22nd season in the NBA, one where the league’s all-time scoring leader could share the floor with his son Bronny as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James has agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the Lakers, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said on Wednesday. The second year of the deal is at James’ option and means he could become a free agent again next summer, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced publicly.
ESPN reported that the Lakers and James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, may agree on a salary slightly less than the max that James could have got – a move that could keep the team from reaching the second apron and preserve some roster flexibility going forward.
Either way, the expectation is that James will make around US$50 million – give or take a little bit – this coming season, pushing his career on-court earnings to around US$530 million and making him the first player in NBA history to eclipse the US$500 million mark.
It will be James’ 22nd season in the NBA, tying Vince Carter for the league record. The Lakers selected Bronny James last week in the second round of the draft, putting them in position to have the first on-court father-son duo in NBA history.
