Getty Lakers star LeBron James
A seven-time NBA champion had a lot to say about Los Angeles Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James at Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s “Ping Pong 4 Purpose” charity event in LA on August 8.
Robert Horry, who won three NBA championships with the Lakers during his storied career, told Ryan Gaydos of Fox News that he believes James will finish his career in Los Angeles. The 2022-23 season will be James’ 20th campaign in the NBA.
“LeBron ain’t going nowhere. He got the Hollywood in him now. He got the movies. He got so many contacts out here. He can’t do that if he goes to Cleveland or Miami or anywhere else,” Horry said. “You gotta stay here. He’s a Laker for the rest of his … 13 more years he’s gonna play.”
A four-time MVP, four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP, James is eligible to sign a two-year extension worth around $97 million with the Lakers. The King would become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023 if he didn’t agree to an extension with Los Angeles. The final day James can sign an extension is June 30, 2023.
James Is ‘Extremely Happy’ in LA Despite Lakers’ Recent Struggles
The Lakers won the championship in 2020 over the Miami Heat in six games. James, who signed a four-year, $153.5 million contract with LA in the summer of 2018 as an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a two-year, $85.7 million extension in December 2020. Since then, the Lakers have lost in the first round of the playoffs and missed the postseason altogether.
Despite the purple and gold’s struggles over the past two seasons, though, James is “extremely happy” in Los Angeles, according to a July 29 report from NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Sources briefed on the matter stress that James is extremely happy in Los Angeles despite the Lakers’ back-to-back rocky seasons,” Stein reported. “He and his family, by all accounts, have grown increasingly entrenched in Southern California since James signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2018.”
James’ sons play basketball at Sierra Canyon School, which is in Los Angeles. Bronny James will be a senior in high school this year, while Bryce James will be a sophomore.
James & His Family Are ‘Entrenched’ in Los Angeles
Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported on August 2 that James and his family are “entrenched” in Los Angeles.
“In the weeks and months that followed LeBron’s surprise conversation with The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd about not ruling out another Cleveland return, James and the people closest to him said he was happy in Los Angeles. His family is happy, and it’s something that certainly seems to matter in this case,” Vardon wrote. “LeBron’s middle child, Bryce, is entering his sophomore year of high school. His youngest, daughter Zhuri, will be 8 this fall. They, not to mention LeBron’s wife, Savannah, are entrenched in L.A.”
James will turn 38 in December. He averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists last season, showing no signs of slowing down. However, the Lakers won only 33 games.
The only player in NBA history to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams (Cleveland, Miami, Los Angeles), James has played in 223 out of a possible 307 regular-season games since joining the Lakers in 2018, putting up averages of 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.