La Derecha Diario Bombshell: LeBron James will remain with the Lakers and will play his 23rd season in the NBA
The 'King' activated his player option for 2025/26 and will become the player with the most seasons in league history
After much speculation, it's finally official: LeBron James will continue playing in the NBA, thus reaching his twenty-third consecutive season at the elite level of world basketball, which will make him the player with the most seasons in league history, surpassing the 22 held by Vince Carter. He will also do so wearing the jersey he has worn for the past six years: that of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The "King" exercised his player option for the 2025/26 season, according to ESPN's specialist journalist Shams Charania. Thanks to this extension, LeBron will earn 52.6 million dollars and will remain with the Los Angeles team at least until he turns 41 next December 30.
Speaking of age, LeBron is still far from the record for the oldest players on the court, led by Nat Hickey, who played at 45 years and 363 days in 1948, followed by Kevin Willis (44 years and 224 days in 2007) and Robert Parish (43 years and 232 days in 1997).
According to Charania, "[LeBron]isn't sure if he'll play one more season or if he still has multiple years ahead with the Lakers," and he highlighted that the franchise is beginning to build a new project around Luka Doncic.
Rich Paul, James's agent, explained the reasons behind the decision: "LeBron wants to compete for the championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future, but he values the real chances he has to win it all," leaving the door open for his future, once this contract ends, to possibly be far from Los Angeles.
LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer and one of the greatest of all time, wants to continue expanding his legacy with more titles. His last ring was in 2020, when the Lakers were crowned champions in the memorable COVID-19 "bubble."
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