LeBron James to remain with the Lakers for his 23rd NBA season

LeBron James, a 40-year-old NBA icon, exercised his option to stay one more season with the Los Angeles Lakers for $52.6 million, sports media reported Sunday.

"King James," leader of the Los Angeles franchise since 2018, also had the option of declaring himself a free agent and negotiating with other franchises or retiring.

However, the NBA's all-time leading scorer opted to remain on the court for a 23rd season, confirmed matching reports from ESPN and The Athletic.

As he has done in recent years, LeBron did not confirm what his plans were at the conclusion of last season with the Lakers, which ended with a first-round playoff exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rich Paul, the forward's agent, told ESPN that James' intention is to keep fighting for titles despite the Lakers also preparing their future around their new star, Luka Doncic.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told the network. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance to win it all."

"We understand the difficulty of winning now while preparing for the future. We want to evaluate what is best for LeBron at this stage of his life and career," the agent expounded. "He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, support him and want what's best for him."

Last season, LeBron averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, an exceptional average at this point in his career, but fell short again of contending for his fifth ring even with the unexpected reinforcement of Luka Doncic in the February transfer window.