When the Lakers lost to the Nuggets 113–111 Monday evening to close the book on Los Angeles’s 2023 season, basketball fans were left to confront the unthinkable: the potential retirement of Los Angeles forward LeBron James.
James was evasive, opaque and terse during his presser after dropping 40 points in Denver’s comeback victory, telling reporters he “[has] to think about” potentially walking away from the game after 20 years.
The news took the basketball world by surprise for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the money James would leave behind by retiring.
On Aug. 17, 2022, James signed a two-year, $97 million extension with Los Angeles. As currently structured, James would make just under $47 million in 2024 and he would have a $51 million player option for 2025.
By walking away, James would forfeit his ’24 and ’25 salaries—a total that adds up to almost $100 million.
James, phenomenally wealthy with a secure legacy as a towering figure in 21st-century American sports, presumably is in a position where financial considerations have become almost academic. However, the cost of a potential retirement is worth noting as James ponders his future in the weeks and months ahead.
