LeBron James is making it official: He’s returning for a record 22nd NBA season, where the league’s all-time leading scorer will be able to share the floor with his son Bronny as teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers.
James agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the Lakers, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Wednesday. The second year of the deal is at James’ discretion and means he could become a free agent again next summer, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been publicly announced.
ESPN reported that the Lakers and James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, may agree to a slightly lower salary than the maximum James could have gotten — a move that could prevent the team from reaching the second apron and preserve some flexibility in the cast. advance.
Either way, James is expected to earn around $50 million – give or take – next season, bringing his career on-court earnings to around $530 million and making him the first player in the history of NBA to eclipse US$500 million. brand.
It will be James’ 22nd season in the NBA, tying Vince Carter for the league record. O Lakers chose Bronny James last week in the second round of the draft, putting them in position to have the first father-son duo on the court in NBA history.
Bronny James has signed his first NBA contract, the Lakers announced Wednesday. It’s a four-year contract, the last one at the Lakers’ option, worth US$7.9 million – with around US$1.2 million as a debut salary.
Completing his latest deal clears a logistical hurdle for LeBron James: He needed a contract before he could take the floor with USA Basketball for the start of its training camp in Las Vegas this weekend, where the team will begin preparations for the Paris Olympics. James will play in the Olympics for the fourth time, the first since helping the USA win gold at the 2012 London Games.
He will turn 40 in December and averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists last season — the oldest active player in the league.
Not only is James the all-time leader in points (40,474), but he is also fourth in assists (11,009), sixth in games played (1,492) and eighth in 3-pointers made (2,410) and steals (2,275).
His 20 All-Star selections are a record, as are his 20 appearances on the All-NBA team. He holds the records for being the youngest player and oldest player to make an All-NBA team.
James became the youngest All-NBA player when he was named to the team in the 2004-05 season. Last season, he became the first player to be 39 or older in what became an All-NBA campaign.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan were just days away from turning 39 when their regular seasons ended in what became their final All-NBA campaigns, Abdul-Jabbar’s in 1985-86 and Duncan’s in 2014-15. . James played 71 games last season, the last 42 of which came after turning 39 years old.
___
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
