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With LeBron James extending his contract with the LA Lakers, the forward will remain with the franchise for another two years. The four-time NBA champion will now focus his attention on leading the Lakers' season under first-time head coach Darvin Ham.
The 18-time All-Star had a good individual run last season, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists. However, he could to have a better run in the upcoming season despite being 38 by year's end, according to analyst Stephen A. Smith.
Smith said the four-time MVP is motivated after his contract extension, that James is going to be on another level in his 20th season.
"He's motivated this year, and I'm not trying to imply he's never motivated, because I know you always is," Smith said. "But LeBron James with that attitude excites me, because I think that even after 19 years, entering his 20th season in the NBA, after the year that they had last year, this brother's gonna be on another level
"But that ain't gonna help him opening night."
Despite his take on LBJ's upcoming season, Smith predicted that the Golden State Warriors will have the better of the Lakers on opening night.
"That ain't gonna help him that night. I mean, Lakers gonna lose, and they gonna get pushed out the building," Smith said. "OK, they're gonna get pushed to sit back to Southern California. They ain't beating the Warriors on ring night. I'm here to tell you something right now: I love it, and I love seeing LeBron James motivated."
LeBron James agrees to a two-year extension
The LA Lakers have offered James a two-year contract extension worth $97.1 million. The contract extension comes with a player option for the 2024-25 season. The contract will see the forward become the highest paid player in league history.
If he remains in the league for the entirety of his contract, James could become the first player in NBA history to play as both a teenager and a 40-year old. However, in his 20th season, he will be looking to clinch his fifth title.
Only eight previous players have made 20 NBA seasons. This season, he'll tie Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Vince Carter played a record 22 seasons.
