LeBron James formally opts in for a 23rd season, will make $52.6M in 2025-26, AP source says
LeBron James is exercising his million option with the Los Angeles Lakers for - further confirming that he will become the first participant in NBA history to play a rd season a person with knowledge of the decision noted Sunday The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the association disclosed the decision publicly ESPN and The Athletic were among those to first record the decision James who in recent days returned to on-court workouts after taking several weeks to recover after spraining a knee ligament in the Lakers final competition of this past season s playoffs recounted the AP earlier this month that he expected to be ready for training camp That was an obvious sign he planned on returning for a rd year one in which he ll break a tie with Vince Carter for longest NBA career by a athlete I have a lot of time to take care of my injury my knee the rest of my body and make sure I m as close to as viable when training camp begins in late September James mentioned in that interview If any doubt existed even after that about James the NBA s oldest current participant coming back for at least one more season it s gone now He had until Sunday afternoon to make his decision on the option one that pushes his career on-court earnings to about million This coming season will be his first full year with Luka Doncic as a teammate Doncic was traded to the Lakers from Dallas in February but the club which entered the postseason as the No seed in a loaded Western Conference still fell in Round to Minnesota James turns in December He s been an All-NBA pick in of his seasons in the league including a second-round nod this past season No other sportsman has more than All-NBA selections He averaged points rebounds and assists this past season The NBA s all-time scoring leader has appeared in regular-season games behind Robert Parish s mark of the greater part in league history If healthy James would obviously figure to break that mark this coming season
