LeBron James is staying in Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, the LeBron agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $85 million, according to ESPN.
The agreement means the 35-year-old will be with the Lakers at least until he reaches his 20th NBA season in 2023.
via People:
The deal is an early Christmas present for James, who will now bring home $39.2 million during the 2020-21 season, followed by $41,180,544 in 2021-22 and $44,474,988 in 2022-23, the outlet reported.
In total, he will have made $435 million during his career by the end of 2023 (which does not include that amount he’s been paid for endorsement deals).
James, considered one of the best NBA players of all time, has been worth the money.
Over the course of his 17 years in the league, he’s won four championships — two during his time with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and another with the Lakers just this past October.
With many of the Lakers’ key players returning next season, it’s possible James could earn his fifth championship (and maybe even a sixth) by the time his contract comes to an end.
“We can [repeat]. I mean, it’s that simple,” James recently told ESPN. “We absolutely can. … First of all, it all starts with health. You have to have some luck. You have to have health. If we can stay healthy.”
“We did get younger,” he added of who the Lakers have added to their roster during the offseason. “We have a 27-year-old point guard [in Dennis Schroder]. We got the 27-year-old Sixth Man of the Year award [winner] in [Montrezl Harrell]. We got younger. We got Marc [Gasol], who is a Defensive Player of the Year and his IQ, not only playing against him in the NBA, but also playing against him versus Spain with the national team.”
As NBA.com notes, James’ son, NBA prospect Bronny James, will graduate high school in 2023.
James has not hidden the fact that he would like to play on the same team as Bronny if the now 16-year-old makes it into the league. Some online have questioned whether James’ extension ending in 2023 is set up to make that happen.
“You want to ask me what is the greatest achievement of my life? If I’m on the same court as my son in the NBA,” James told Uninterrupted in 2018, according to USA Today. “That would be number one in my lifetime as an NBA player.”
Do you see another championship in LeBron’s future? We certainly do.
