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With only one year left on his contract, LA Lakers star LeBron James has made a decision regarding his future. Reports have emerged that the All-Star forward has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension.
Despite being in his late-30's, LeBron has proven that he is still among the NBA's top talents. Last season, he posted averages of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists across 56 games.
Since news broke of LeBron staying in LA, many fans have chimed in with their thoughts. Given that he'll be turning 38 this season, some feel the Lakers paid a hefty price for a player at the end of his career.
One person who is not worried about how much the Lakers gave the 18-time All-Star is ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. During a recent episode of "First Take," he even went as far as to say that LeBron James is underpaid.
"There are 48 minutes per game, I take Lebron James for 46 of those minutes ahead of anybody in the world with the exception of Michael Jordan."
"He's grossly underpaid, he has average per year salary throughout his career there's several players that are higher than him. LeBron James in Los Angeles 97 million over the next two years is a bargain, he is box office."
Did the LA Lakers offer LeBron James too much money?
As the NBA's all-time leader in career earnings, it's hard to build a case that LeBron James is underpaid. However, Stephen A. Smith made some valid points as to why the Lakers had to offer him the money he did.
For starters, LeBron is still one of the biggest draws in the game today. Fans all over the country pay to see him live, and his jersey is always at the top when it comes to sales. Because of the value he brings as a marketing draw, the Lakers should be more than willing to offer him a sizeable extension.
Another reason why LA should not be worried about paying LeBron is his output. While the Lakers did miss the postseason, it was not because of their star player. He may have missed more than a handful of his games, but his production was one of the few things keeping the team afloat.
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Because of where the franchise is at right now, the Lakers had no choice but to pay LeBron what he was seeking. If they were unwilling, multiple teams in the league would have cleared the cap space to do so.
Guess the Lakers players!
