LeBron James signs deal to stay with Lakers, opening door to first father-son teammates in NBA history

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James signed an extension to remain with the franchise, officials confirmed on X Sunday, leading to a potential NBA first of father-son teammates.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer last week opted out of a $51.4 million payday for the upcoming 2024-25 season, though most observers believed James had no real intention of leaving Southern California.

Terms of the pact were not disclosed, though ESPN reported that the deal was worth $104 million over two years.

James, who averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds last season, is regarded as one of the best players in league history. He is a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, four-time NBA MVP and 20-time All-Star.

With the 39-year-old James remaining in purple and gold, that means that he and his son Bronny James could make history this upcoming season as the first multigenerational duo. The Lakers used their second-round draft pick, No. 55 overall, to select the guard out of the University of Southern California.

The younger James entered his freshman season as an expected first-rounder but struggled, averaging just 4.8 points per contest for a USC team that lost 18 games and finished in the bottom third of the Pac-12. That light résumé didn’t stop the Lakers from apparently trying to help LeBron James achieve this NBA first that he’s spoken openly about over the years.

While NBA fans have seen several father-son duos over the years, most notably the sharpshooting combination of Dell and Steph Curry, none of them ever played on the hardwood simultaneously.

Hours after Bronny James was drafted, LeBron posted a slideshow on Instagram featuring photos of him and his son on the court with the caption “LEGACY!!!!!!”