LeBron will return for a 21st NBA season and sixth with the Lakers

LeBron James announced on The ESPYs on Wednesday that he will play another season for the Los Angeles Lakers.

James, 38, said he will return for his 21st NBA season and sixth with the Lakers after accepting the ESPY award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list last season.

“I don’t care how many more points I can score or what I can or can’t do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me, can I play without cheating the game? The day I can’t play without giving everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”

At the end of last season following the Lakers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, James said he wasn’t sure if he would be back.

That was in stark contrast to James’ previous sentiments, when he said on several occasions that he would like to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny, in the NBA.

The superstar James had another stellar season in 2022-23, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games.