LeBron James Reportedly Makes Decision on Playing 2023-24 NBA Season

When the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals of the playoffs, LeBron James hinted at possibly announcing his retirement. But it looks like James will not be leaving the game this year as the belief is he will return to the Lakers for the 2023-24 season to fulfill his contract, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. 

If James does play out his contract, that means he could be with the Lakers for another two seasons and get paid $97 million, per CBS Sports. The second year, however, is a player option, meaning he can hit free agency next summer. It’s possible James could announce that next season will be his final season, or he could play another season as his son, Bronny, enters the NBA. 

“I’ve done what I’ve had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey,” James said during his press conference earlier this week, per ESPN. “And whatever his journey, however his journey lays out, he’s going to do what’s best for him. And as his dad, and his mom, Savannah, and his brother and sister, we’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do. So, just because that’s my aspiration or my goal, doesn’t mean it’s his. And I’m absolutely OK with that.”  

James has nothing else to prove when it comes to his NBA career. He has played in 10 NBA Finals while winning four of them with three different teams. He has been named NBA Finals MVP four times, NBA MVP four times and has been selected to the All-Star game 19 times. And in February, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabarr to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. 

“I wanted to be the rookie of the year my rookie year, I wanted to [be named an] All-Star, I wanted to win championships, I wanted to be the MVP of the league, I wanted to be the Player of the Year,” James told Good Morning America at the time. “I never ever was like I want to break the all-time score. I never ever even thought about it and the fact that I’m like literally right here, it is mind-blowing.”