Basketball icon LeBron James has finally confirmed the speculation: he’s donning his jersey for a record-tying 22nd season in the National Basketball Association. The forthcoming season, a tantalizing prospect in many respects, could well be the first in NBA history where the undisputed all-time leading scorer shares the court with his son, Bronny, as part of the Los Angeles Lakers lineup.
LeBron’s agreement to a two-year contract extension with the Lakers was confirmed on Wednesday. The deal includes a second-year clause at LeBron’s discretion, which could potentially see him re-entering free agency next summer if he so chooses, according to an anonymous source privy to the negotiations.
There are murmurs that LeBron’s representatives, led by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, may discuss a salary that falls short of the maximum that James could have commanded. This strategic move could potentially save the Lakers from hitting the financial hard cap, ensuring the team retains some flexibility in terms of its future roster.
Whether James receives the maximum salary or not, the anticipation is that he stands to rake in close to $50 million in the forthcoming season. This staggering sum would take his overall career earnings to an unprecedented $530 million, making him the first NBA player to cross the half-billion-dollar threshold.
LeBron’s upcoming 22nd season would see him join Vince Carter in sharing the record for the longest career span in the NBA. The Lakers’ recent selection of Bronny James as their second-round draft pick proposed a tantalizing possibility: the first father-son duo to share the court in the history of the NBA.
It was also reported that Bronny has just inked his first NBA contract, a four-year deal with the Lakers that is worth $7.9 million. The first year would see him taking home an impressive rookie salary of $1.2 million.
LeBron’s contract extension tidies up a potentially messy logistical situation. USA Basketball training camp required that he have a contract in place before he could participate. The camp, which is slated to commence in Las Vegas this weekend, is the first step along the path to the Paris Olympics. This marks LeBron’s fourth showing in the Olympics since his help in securing the gold for the U.S. at the 2012 London games.
LeBron, who will turn 40 in December, had an impressive last season with averages of 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists – an even more notable accomplishment considering he was the oldest active player in the league.
Furthermore, James currently leads the all-time points tally at 40,474 and ranks fourth in assists with 11,009. He’s lodged an impressive 1,492 games, and sits in the eighth spot for both three-pointers and steals. He has been selected for the All-Star team a record 20 times and appeared on the All-NBA team the same number of times, also a record.
Not only that, but James holds another unique achievement. He’s the youngest and oldest player to have been named to an All-NBA team. He first earned this distinction as a young vote-getter for the 2004-2005 season, and most recently replicated this honor during an All-NBA campaign as a 39-year-old – yet another feather in the cap of the remarkable LeBron James.
