LeBron James, widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history, will leave the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2026-2027 season, the team confirmed.
The 41-year-old free agent spent eight seasons on the team and led the franchise to its 17th NBA championship during the pandemic-altered 2019-2020 season. In a statement, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss thanked James for his tenure.
“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. 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,” Buss said. “We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
It’s not yet clear where James intends to play next season. The NBA’s free agency negotiation window opens at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
James became the NBA’s all-time leader in points scored, games played and seasons played while wearing the purple and gold. He’s been selected as an NBA All-Star a record 22 times.
He has not yet issued a public comment.
After earning himself a Sports Illustrated cover, dubbing him “The Chosen One” as a high school basketball player in Akron, Ohio, James was drafted first overall by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. His first stint with the Cavs included a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals, but frustrations over a lack of team success led him to join the Miami Heat in 2011.
Alongside fellow superstar teammates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the trio, nicknamed “The Heatles,” won two titles in four years. Those Heat teams are considered to be one of the first “super teams” constructed through free agency in NBA history.
James returned to Cleveland for the 2014-2015 season to play alongside Kyrie Irving. In four seasons, James and Irving led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals each year, where they played the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry each time.
The Cavaliers won the 2015-2016 championship in a remarkable series in which Cleveland stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to win in seven games, a first in finals history.
James then joined the Lakers as a free agent ahead of the 2018-2019 season.
As for the Lakers, the next steps will revolve around Luka Doncic, who the team acquired in a stunning trade last year from the Dallas Mavericks. The new face of the franchise signed a three-year contract extension in 2025.
