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The LA Lakers announced on Thursday that LeBron James has officially signed a contract extension. James has reportedly signed a two-year, $97.1 million deal with a player option for the 2024-25 season. One NBA analyst believes that the contract extension confirms that "The King" no longer cares about winning championships.
On a recent episode of "The Odd Couple" podcast, Fox Sports' Rob Parker and Andy Furman discussed James' decision to extend with the Lakers. Parker thinks James no longer cares about winning and only wants to stay in Los Angeles.
James became a billionaire in LA and his businesses are going to continue making money. Parker also claimed that James knew that the Lakers are going to flop this season, but still decided to stay.
"He is staying in Los Angeles not because he has another chance to win another championship with the group that he's with," Parker said. "It's because he loves the sunshine. His businesses have flourished. His family loves living in Southern California."
"This is not about the Lakers and trying to win. He saw this movie. It flopped at the box office, it should have gone straight to DVD. You're bringing back the same group. He should run from Anthony Davis, he can't stay healthy."
The Lakers made some changes this offseason. They replaced head coach Frank Vogel with Darvin Ham. They got younger by signing several free agent role players and parting with Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore. The Lakers are also still trying to trade Russell Westbrook, with Kyrie Irving being discussed as a potential target.
In the NBA's offseason power rankings, the Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference. They still lack perimeter defenders and shooters.
LeBron James on track to play with his son in the NBA
LeBron James has been vocal about his desire to play with his son Bronny in the NBA. Bronny is set to enter his senior year of high school, while LeBron will be in his 20th year in the league. If they share the court together, they will be the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time.
"The King" signing a two-year extension with a player option for the 2024-25 season means that he could fulfill his dream of teaming up with Bronny. If everything goes according to plan, Bronny will play one year of college basketball before being eligible to be drafted in 2024.
According to NBA Draft Room, Bronny is projected to be a late first-round pick. Whichever team drafts him will likely get LeBron as well. It is speculated that the four-time champ will end his career after the 2024-25 season.
