LeBron James is moving on from the LA Lakers after informing the team he will not be signing a new contract.
It is the end of an era, LeBron James signed with the LA Lakers in the 2018 offseason after four years with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron was drafted by the Cavaliers before leaving in free agency to sign with Miami Heat in 2010.
James is a four-time NBA champion, winning his fourth ring with the LA Lakers in 2019/20, an achievement sometimes derided as a ‘Bubble championship‘ due to Covid restrictions.
This past season the LA Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.
Now he has informed the team of his decision to move on, ending his longest ever stint with one NBA team.
LeBron James LA Lakers achievements
Here is a look at the numbers LeBron James put up with the LA Lakers…
- 479 total games
- 12,402 points
- 3,808 assists
- 3,680 rebounds
In 2023, LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record.
In 2024, LeBron became the first NBA player in history to surpass 40,000 career points. His career total now stands at 43,440 points.
The Lakers’ record with LeBron James is 287–192 (.599) since 2018, compared to their 70–86 (.449) record when he was absent.
Even at the age of 41, LeBron played 60 games in the Lakers’ final season, helping them to a 53-29 record while contributing 20.9 points per game.
| Sea | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-19 | 55 | 35.2 | 27.4 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 51.0 |
| 19-20 | 67 | 34.6 | 25.3 | 7.8 | 10.2 | 49.3 |
| 20-21 | 45 | 33.4 | 25.0 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 51.3 |
| 21-22 | 56 | 37.2 | 30.3 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 52.4 |
| 22-23 | 55 | 35.5 | 28.9 | 8.3 | 6.8 | 50.0 |
| 23-24 | 71 | 35.3 | 25.7 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 54.0 |
| 24-25 | 70 | 34.9 | 24.4 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 51.3 |
| 25-26 | 60 | 33.2 | 20.9 | 6.1 | 7.2 | 51.5 |
LeBron James’ best points-scoring season with the LA Lakers came in 2021/22 when he contributed 30.3 points per game.
But his best shooting season was in 2023/24 where his field goal percentage reached 54 per cent.
LeBron’s top Lakers teammates
LeBron teamed up with Anthony Davis in 2019 when the big man was secured in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The duo led the Lakers to the NBA title, and he was James’ most frequent teammate before Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in early 2025.
- Anthony Davis: 302 games
- Austin Reaves: 287
- Rui Hachimura: 215
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 190
- Kyle Kuzma: 184
- Jaxson Hayes: 180
More LeBron records with the Lakers
LeBron James became one of only two players in franchise history, to hit 1,000 career three-pointers for the team, joining Kobe Bryant.
James is also in the top five for assists all-time with the Lakers, surpassing Michael Cooper on the list.
He is also the sixth all-time leading Lakers scorer, with Kobe Bryant at number one.
Most uniquely, LeBron and his son Bronny James became the first ever father-son duo to play for the same NBA team in 2024.
They later became the only pair to combine for points, creating the first ever father-son assist in March 2026.
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