LeBron James recently signed an extension that will keep him with the Lakers well beyond his 38th birthday. Under normal circumstances, inking a player that old to a max two-year deal wouldn’t be called a smart move.
In this case, it was considered a no-brainer. Last season, the 17th of his career, he led the Purple and Gold to the Championship, averaging 25.3 points, 10.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game on 49.3% shooting.
The big question for the Lakers is not whether James will live up to his worth, but what his most recent extension could mean for his future. According to one Lakers beat writer, that too spells good news for the Lakeshow.
“(LeBron) James may well play beyond this contract extension and into his 40s, but this is him positioning himself to end his career with the Lakers.”
“(LeBron) James may well play beyond this contract extension and into his 40s, but this is him positioning himself to end his career with the Lakers.”
– @billoram on LeBron’s contract extension. pic.twitter.com/fxgczhbx7s
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 2, 2020
We don’t know how much longer LeBron will be in the NBA, but it’s looking like he’ll be in LA for however long it lasts.
In the two years since his arrival, the Lakers have given him anything he could have asked for. They went out and traded for Anthony Davis and won the title despite extremely unusual circumstances. James has also enjoyed several luxuries off the court, such as the filming of Space Jam 2 and living in one of the biggest-market cities in America.
So, all things considered, why wouldn’t LeBron be the place he wants to finish out his career? It’s been pretty generous to him so far…
