LeBron James to Make HISTORY: 23rd NBA Season Confirmed!

2025-06-30 06:00:30.137

LeBron James is officially returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, exercising his $52.6 million option. This decision marks a historic moment, as it will make James the first NBA player to ever play 23 seasons. The news was initially reported by ESPN and The Athletic, and later confirmed by an anonymous source speaking to the Associated Press. James, who recently recovered from a knee injury, previously stated his intention to return for training camp in late September. His decision pushes his career on-court earnings to approximately $580 million. The upcoming season will be James's first full year playing alongside Luka Doncic, who was traded to the Lakers in February. Despite reaching the postseason as the Western Conference's No. 3 seed, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by Minnesota. At 41 years old, James continues to defy expectations, having been an All-NBA pick in 21 of his 22 seasons. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists last season. With 1,562 regular-season games played, James is just 49 games away from surpassing Robert Parish's all-time record of 1,611 games.