LOS ANGELES, JUNE 30, 2025 – LeBron James has officially exercised his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025–26 NBA season, setting the stage to become the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons.
The decision, first reported by ESPN and The Athletic, was confirmed to the Associated Press by a source familiar with the matter, though neither James nor the Lakers have made an official announcement.
The move not only extends his already unprecedented career but also pushes his on-court earnings to approximately $580 million.
“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins,” James told the AP earlier this month.
This comes weeks after James resumed workouts following a sprained knee ligament suffered during the Lakers’ playoff exit. The Lakers, despite entering as the No. 3 seed in the highly competitive Western Conference, were ousted in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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👑 Records, Teammates, and What’s Next
The upcoming season will also mark James’ first full campaign with Luka Dončić as a teammate. Dončić joined the Lakers in a blockbuster trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February, in a bid to revive the franchise’s championship hopes.
At 41 years old this December, James remains a force on the court. In the 2024–25 season, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team — his 21st All-NBA selection, more than any player in history (the next closest is 15).
James is also closing in on the record for most regular-season games played. He currently sits at 1,562 games — just 49 behind the all-time leader, Robert Parish (1,611).
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