LeBron James has reportedly informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he will continue his NBA career with another franchise, bringing an end to his successful spell with the team.
According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, citing Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, James has notified the Lakers that they should move forward with their future plans because he intends to play elsewhere during the 2026-27 NBA season.
Charania reported that the four-time NBA champion has decided to continue his professional career but will not return to Los Angeles for the upcoming campaign.
James, 41, joined the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 after ending his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his eight seasons with the franchise, he consistently ranked among the league’s top performers, averaging 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
His time in Los Angeles was marked by several major achievements. James helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA Championship, earning NBA Finals MVP honours, and later guided the team to victory in the 2023 NBA Cup. He also received eight All-Star selections and was named to the All-NBA Team seven times while representing the franchise.
One of the defining moments of his Lakers career came on February 7, 2023, when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading regular-season scorer. After completing a historic 23rd NBA season, James has extended that record to 43,440 regular-season points.
The basketball icon originally signed a four-year, $154 million contract with the Lakers in 2018 after leaving Cleveland. His reported departure now signals the end of one of the most successful chapters of his legendary NBA career as fans await confirmation of his next destination.
