LeBron James is done in Los Angeles. Not done with basketball, but done as a Laker. The 41-year-old informed the franchise on the first day of free agency that he’ll play in 2026-27, just not for them. Eight seasons in purple and gold. That’s longer than his stints in Cleveland or Miami. Nobody saw that coming back in 2018 when he was 33 and people wondered if he was chasing Hollywood more than hardware.
Now the open market gets the Kid from Akron one more time. Golden State looks like the frontrunner for season 24, according to reports. But 29 other teams have reasons to call. Before we chase what’s next, let’s look back at the moments that mattered most in L.A.
Five Moments That Defined LeBron’s Lakers Run
The 1,000-Game Scoring Streak Hit on His 36th Birthday
Nobody has played 23 seasons. Nobody has scored 10-plus points in 1,297 straight games. That streak spanned more than 18 years. On Dec. 30, 2020, LeBron hit the 1,000-game mark of that run. It happened to be his 36th birthday. The King just keeps showing up.
He Won the First NBA Cup
The In-Season Tournament felt gimmicky at first. A mid-season trophy? But LeBron treated it like a Finals. He and the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023, and James took home tournament MVP. Guy wins everything. Four NBA Finals MVPs, four regular-season MVPs, 21 All-NBA selections, a scoring title, an assists title. Now he’s got a Cup too.
The Night He Passed Kareem
Feb. 7, 2023. LeBron needed 36 points to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. He finished with 38, and that 38,388th point was the one. He’s now at 43,440 and counting. The record might stand forever. LeBron became a legit 3-point shooter in L.A., but that bucket was a fadeaway jumper from the left elbow. Vintage stuff. The game stopped. Kareem stood and applauded. Even LeBron cried a little.
Father and Son Made History
The Lakers drafted Bronny James 55th overall in 2024. On Oct. 22, 2024, LeBron and Bronny shared the floor together for the first time as teammates. First father-son duo in NBA history. That’s not just a stat. That’s a guy who stayed in the league long enough to play with his kid. Bronny’s still in L.A. now. Makes you wonder how hard that decision to leave really was.
The Bubble Championship
COVID shut the world down. The NBA moved to Disney World. No fans, no normal routines. And LeBron led the Lakers to the 2020 championship anyway. It was his fourth ring. The Bubble run was weird and exhausting and unforgettable. LeBron won Finals MVP. The Lakers beat Miami in six games. That title proved he could still do it without home court, without crowds, without anything familiar. Just basketball.
LeBron’s next move is coming. But these eight years in L.A. gave us enough to remember forever.
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