LeBron James‘ time with the Los Angeles Lakers isn’t coming to an end yet. The iconic basketballer, who has been with the team since 2018 and has won one NBA Championship with them, has extended his contract.
However, the contract not only boasts a major financial increase for the star athlete but could affect his playing relationship with his eldest son, Bronny James, who is a rising basketballer.
LeBron James Extends Contract With Lakers For Two Years
Per ESPN, on Wednesday, LeBron extended his contract with the basketball team by two years. His agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul confirmed the contract extension which is worth $97.1 million. The new contract includes a 15% trade kicker and a starter salary of $46.7 million.
The terms of the new contract earn the Ohio native the title of the highest-earning player in NBA history with $532 million in career earnings. Per reports, LeBron’s extension with the Lakers makes him ineligible for a no-trade clause because it’s not a new deal, just a contract extension.
With his renewed contract, the four-time NBA Finals MVP winner has no worries about entering free agency next summer despite being 38 years old. Also, for the upcoming 2022-23 season, LeBron won’t be traded because the second year of the extend exceeds a 5% raise.
The 18-time All-Star was restricted to a two-year contract because of the age cap of 38 enforced by the league. Hence, by the 2024 season, LeBron would become a free agent able to sign for any team he chooses. Coincidentally, 2024 is also when his oldest son Bronny becomes eligible for the NBA draft.
What Does The Extended Contract Means For LeBron and Bronny?
If Bronny makes it into the NBA, LeBron can finally actualize his dream of playing alongside his son. Currently, the 17-year-old is a high school junior and plays for the basketball team at Sierra Canyon School In California.
Back in April, LeBron made headlines after revealing his desire to play with his mini-me during an episode of YouTube’s “Uninterrupted’s The Shop.” When asked by the host who he would love to play with, the legendary athlete answered, “Bronny is number one on my f**king list. He is number one on my list I wanna play with for sure.”
He recalled, “Not too long ago, I asked him, ‘I said ‘what you want to do with this? Like, you want to get to the pros? What do you want to do?’ He’s like ‘Yeah.’ I said, why? He said ‘Cause I want to make a name for myself.’”
He reiterated his desire to play with his son during a February interview with The Athletic, saying, “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year.”
As fingers remain crossed for a father-son tag team on the court, fans can get a peek at what the future would look like via LeBron’s Instagram pages. Earlier this month, the former Cleveland Cavaliers player shared an Instagram clip of him playing with Bronny and his younger son Bryce.
The clip showed off their impressive skills on the court declaring that basketball was indeed in their DNA. The proud father captioned the post, “Simply no better feeling than doing what I love to do with who I love! Great work today Young🤴🏾’s #JamesGang👑 #EarnedNotGiven.”
LeBron’s extended contract comes two months after the basketballer who has won four NBA Championships became the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
Forbes confirmed LeBron’s net worth of $1 billion after he earned $121.2 million after a successful 2021 year career-wise.