King James is staying put in Tinseltown.
LeBron James is opting into his $52.6-million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Sunday.
The four-time MVP and NBA Champion is coming off averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists during his age-40 season.
During his 22nd season, James recored 10 triple doubles, including four straight in the month of November, becoming the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double at age 40 or older.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," James's agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career. "
James also became the oldest player to score 40 points in a game, achieving the feat twice.
He will rejoin Luka Doncic and a Lakers team fresh off a first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves for his record-setting 23rd season.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future," Paul added. "We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career."
James has spoken publicly about being uncertain of how many more years he will continue to play. During a dinner in New York last week with his wife, Savannah, former teammate Kevin Love and his wife, Kate, and others, one of the guests attending posted a snippet to Instagram where James audibly said "(Savannah) wants me to f---ing retire in the next year or so."
The 21-time all-star will enter his second season alongside his son, Bronny James, who was selected 55th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 draft and appeared in 27 games during his rookie season, playing limited minutes.
After sustaining a sprained MCL in his left knee during the Lakers' Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves, James returned to on-court basketball activities this week.
