NBA superstar LeBron James will return for an unprecedented 24th season but not with the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that rocked the league on Tuesday as free agency opened.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Truly an honor to wear the (purple and gold) while trying to continue the greatness and legacies that came before me," James, the league's all-time leading scorer, said in a post on X, replying to a "thank you" post from Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Hope I made a few proud during my stint," he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Buss's farewell to James on social media had confirmed multiple media reports that the 41-year-old forward would depart the Lakers after eight years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history," Buss wrote in a statement posted on the Lakers' X account.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers -- including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
James joined the Lakers in 2018 and led them to their 17th -- and most recent -- title in 2020 in a post-season played in the Covid "bubble".<\/p>\r\n\r\n
James's agent Rich Paul told ESPN that James had informed the Lakers of his decision "as a courtesy" so that they would be prepared for the start of free agency.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Teams and players could begin talking at 6 p.m. Eastern time (2200 GMT). While players can't officially sign with teams until July 6, news of verbal agreements could emerge before then.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"King James" became a free agent after the Lakers' second-round playoff exit but had not yet confirmed that he would indeed continue one of the most extraordinary careers in league history, with four championships and a multitude of individual records.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But with the free agency period approaching James has been linked with a possible return to Cleveland or Miami -- both clubs he led to titles -- or with a move to join his 2024 USA Olympic teammate Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
James and Curry faced off in four straight NBA Finals between 2015 and 2018, with three wins for Curry's Warriors and one for James's Cavs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
According to ESPN, the Warriors are hoping to assemble a roster of veteran superstars, also looking to add James's former Lakers teammate Anthony Davis in a trade with the Washington Wizards.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- 'An honor' -<\/p>\r\n\r\n
James's record 23rd NBA campaign got off to a rocky start last year as he missed the first month of the season because of sciatica.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Once fit he again proved remarkably effective, shooting 51.5% from the field as he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in the regular season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the playoffs James averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists and led the Lakers to a first-round series victory over the Houston Rockets despite the absence of star teammate Luka Doncic, who was sidelined with a hamstring strain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
James had helped push the Lakers to the fourth seed in the Western Conference, despite the late-season injuries to Doncic and key contributor Austin Reaves.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Doncic, 27 and acknowledged as the new lynchpin of the Lakers after his arrival in February 2025, offered his own farewell to James on Instagram with a photo captioned "An honor to play with and learn from you 'King James'".<\/p>\r\n\r\n
James's tenure with the Lakers included the 2020 NBA title, in a post-season played in a Covid "bubble", and a victory in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n