Who knows where LeBron James’ basketball skills will be in two or three years, but the NBA does know he’ll be richer and still playing for the L.A. Lakers.
James has signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-25 Lakers, that includes a no-trade clause. It is “league max” deal and returns James to the plateau as highest-paid player in NBA history.
On top of the new deal, James should pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s career scoring king during the upcoming season. Jabbar closed his career with 38,387 and James is at 37,062.
Who can top LeBron?
OK, check this list out at All Time Leaders | Stats | NBA.com.
Scroll down to Kevin Durant at No. 21 (25,526 points) to find James’ nearest challenger that is still playing in the NBA.
Active players close to Durant include James Harden at No. 28 (23,477 points), Russell Westbrook at No. 30 (23,298), and Chris Paul at No. 39 (20,936).
Keep an eye on Steph Curry, though. Because of injuries during his career, Curry, 34, has played in just 826 games. He has tallied 20,064 points, which places him at No. 47. If he can stay healthy and keep pouring in points, he has at least a chance to reach the Top 5 in All-Time Scoring.
