Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has signed a contract extension to remain with the team, a source confirmed Sunday, potentially making them father and son teammates for the first time in the NBA.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer last week opted out of a $51.4 million salary for the upcoming 2024-25 season, but most observers believe James has no plans to leave Southern California.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but ESPN reported the deal is worth $104 million over two years.
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James, who averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds last season, is considered one of the best players in the league’s history. He is a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, four-time NBA MVP and 20-time All-Star.
The 39-year-old James’ decision to remain in purple and gold means he and his son, Bronny James, could make history this season as the first multi-generational duo to play in the NBA after the Lakers selected the USC guard with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the draft.
The younger James was a highly anticipated first-round draft pick but struggled during his freshman season, averaging just 4.8 points per game as a USC team lost 18 games and finished in the bottom third of the Pac-12. Despite his impressive resume, the Lakers appear to be trying to help LeBron James achieve his long-proclaimed NBA debut.
NBA fans have seen plenty of father-son duos over the years, most famously the sharp-shooting duo of Dell and Stephen Curry, but they’ve never played on the court at the same time.
Hours after Bronny James was drafted, LeBron posted a slideshow of photos of him and his son on the court to Instagram with the caption, “LEGACY!!!!!!”
