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Akron natives LeBron and Bronny James return to Cleveland
The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday and father-son duo returned home
LeBron James isn’t done adding to his legacy as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
No. 23 is committed to a 23rd NBA season. James is exercising his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, agent Rich Paul told ESPN on June 29, the same day James faced a deadline for the contractual decision.
A St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate who entered the NBA 22 years ago as just a kid from Akron, James spent 11 seasons with the Cavaliers, four with the Miami Heat and the past seven with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Drafted first overall by the Cavs in 2003, James is a four-time NBA champion, the league’s all-time leading scorer, a 21-time All-Star selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player and a four-time Finals MVP.
The 40-year-old James spent two tours with the Cavs spanning 2003-10 and 2014-18. After James fled Cleveland the first time and won two championships in four seasons (2010-14) with the Heat, he returned to Northeast Ohio and led the Cavs to four consecutive Finals, helping them charge back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Golden State Warriors and capture the 2016 NBA crown. The victory ended a nearly 52-year title drought among major Cleveland professional sports teams.
James left the Cavs for a second time in 2018 and joined the Lakers. In 2020, he won his fourth career NBA championship and first with the Lakers. James wants more.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, 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.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
In other words, James wants the Lakers to make moves to boost their title chances.
After the Lakers were eliminated with a 4-1 first-round playoff series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 30, James said he would contemplate his future. James suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the decisive Game 5 against the Wolves. He recently resumed on-court workouts, posting video evidence on social media.
This past season, James lived a dream by sharing an NBA court with his eldest son, Bronny James. The Lakers drafted Bronny in the second round (No. 55 overall) in 2024. The pick came on the heels of LA hiring coach JJ Reddick, a former podcast partner of LeBron James.
The elder James also played with a new running mate in 2024-25 after the Lakers shocked the NBA in February by acquiring Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks. As part of the deal, LA sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.
James still has something substantial left in the proverbial tank. He averaged 24.4 points on 51.3% shooting from the field, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1 steal, 0.6 blocked shots and 34.9 minutes during the 2024-25 regular season. He followed it with 25.4 points on 48.9% shooting, 9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2 steals, 1.8 blocks and 40.7 minutes in the playoffs.
In May, James was named a second-team All-NBA choice. It was his record 21st All-NBA honor.
In February 2023, James surpassed Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 career points for the NBA’s all-time scoring record.
In 1,562 regular-season games, James has scored 42,184 points, averaging 27 points on 50.6% shooting from the field to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists. In 292 playoff games, he has scored 8,289 points, averaging 28.4 points on 49.6% shooting, plus 9 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
James will be back to bolster those figures. Whether he’ll remain with the Lakers and play beyond the 2025-26 season are the next questions.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
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