LeBron James won’t be leaving the Los Angeles Lakers anytime soon. Basketball’s biggest star just landed an extension with the franchise, committing to two more years in LA. James was previously set to become a free agent after this upcoming season.
The news about James’ extension has been confirmed by his agent Rich Paul to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Paul, James will get $97.1 million over the next two years. In addition, he is set to earn $44.5 million in 2022-23.
James will be 38 in December, but it is easy to see why the Lakers didn’t flinch when they got a chance to sign him to an extension. Besides his star power that fills the gym, he also showed last year that he can still perform at a high level. The Akron, Ohio native finished the campaign with 30.3 points per game, his most since his third year as a pro, while also adding 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
Since joining the Lakers in 2018, LeBron James has had many ups and downs. The team missed the playoffs in his first season but then won the NBA championship in 2020 after acquiring superstar Anthony Davis.
The Lakers then failed in their attempt to win back-to-back titles, with James being unable to carry the team past the first round after Davis went down with an injury. This was followed by a disastrous 2021-22 campaign in which the LA team didn’t even get in the play-in tournament.
