National Basketball Association

LeBron James confirms he's returning to Lakers for 21st NBA season

Updated Jul. 13, 2023 12:42 a.m. ET

LeBron James made it official at the ESPYs on Wednesday night — he's coming back to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2023-24 NBA season.

"I don't care how many more points I score or what I can or cannot do on the floor," James said while receiving the award for best record-breaking performance. "The real question for me is, can I play without cheating this game? The day I can't give the game everything on the floor is the day I'll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today."

James received the award for passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer last February. The star-studded crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles roared after he made his announcement.

[Why Skip Bayless believes in LeBron James and the Lakers next season]

James publicly flirted with retiring after the Lakers were swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.

However, he never made any further indications that he would retire, and the Lakers were aggressive in free agency to bring back the role players that excelled alongside James and Anthony Davis in the latter part of last year's season and into the postseason. Multiple reports in recent weeks, including from FOX Sports' Melissa Rohlin, indicated that James would eventually return for his 21st NBA season, and James himself praised the Lakers' free agency moves on social media.

Now, the "King" himself has put any lingering uncertainty to rest.

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