LeBron James

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Jackson State football head coach Deion Sanders provided lofty praise to Alabama head coach Nick Saban in the wake of him becoming the highest-paid college football coach in the country.

Sanders made the remarks on SportsCenter with host Sage Steele and Saban also part of the conversation (h/t 247Sports' Dean Straka).

"Coach Saban is our magna cum laude (of coaching). He is our guy. You would not have questioned Michael Jordan and you don't question LeBron (James) when they are given a contract of this status. We should never question him. I love what he is doing. I love the bar he has set. Every opportunity I get to sit with him on this wonderful Aflac set, I'm gleaning from him just some of the fruit and nuggets he's able to spit to me. I'm happy. Well deserved. No one, I wish I wouldn't catch anyone saying anything about the contract Saban has warranted. He is the GOAT."

Alabama's board of trustees has approved an eight-year, $93.6 million contract for Saban, per Aaron Suttles of The Athletic. His $11.7 million average annual salary is now the standard in college football.

Saban's college football resume stands alone in the sport's history. His teams have won seven national titles (six Alabama, one LSU) and 10 SEC crowns (eight Alabama, two LSU). Saban holds a 269-67-1 record over four stops at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-1999), LSU (2000-2004) and Alabama (2007 to present date).

The 70-year-old nearly became the first college football coach to earn a nine-figure deal, but he's deserving of the most lucrative annual contract in the sport thanks to his tremendous track record. His Crimson Tide enter this year as the consensus No. 1 team and the championship favorites.

Sanders has done quite well for himself in just two years at Jackson State. The former star NFL defensive back led the Tigers to an 11-2 record and a SWAC title. He also earned the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the best coach at the Division I-FCS level.

The future looks bright for the HBCU football program as well: Of note, Sanders was able to recruit the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2022 in Travis Hunter, who was set to go to Florida State.

Saban's Crimson Tide ultimately stands as the gold standard, but Sanders is doing great work in his own right as Jackson State continues its college football ascension.

Saturday's cancellation at the CrawsOver event in Seattle apparently didn't spoil LeBron James' fun.

The all-time great tweeted that the event was "SPECIAL" and thanked fans for attending:

SEATTLE!! That was SPECIAL yesterday!! WHOA 🤯🤯🤯. Even with us having to stop play because of things we couldn't control! I appreciate the love and hospitality towards me and my folks who came along for the show! 🫡 to @JCrossover @DejounteMurray @isaiahthomas. 🙏🏾🤎👊🏾👑

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 21, 2022

The CrawsOver is a summer Pro-Am league run by former NBA player Jamal Crawford. The event at Seattle Pacific University has been known to attract NBA players and notable names, and Saturday brought the most famous player in the entire league.

It wasn't just James, though, as Jayson Tatum, Aaron Gordon, Isaiah Thomas and Paolo Banchero all showed up.

Yet, as Matt Calkins of the Seattle Times noted, the event was called off in the second quarter because of condensation on the floor due to humidity. Fans had camped overnight, and one reason for the condensation was the increased heat because some of the doors were not opened out of fear fans would barge into the gym.

While everything didn't go according to plan, it still appeared to leave quite the impression on James.

LeBron James could remain with the Los Angeles Lakers through the 2024-25 season, reportedly in part because he wasn't particularly interested in the teams he could have signed with over the summer before signing an extension.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, James "looked at the free-agency landscape next summer, who might have cap space, and there was nothing that interested him enough, I'm told, to keep that option open and go into the season on an expiring contract."

Instead, James signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers this summer that includes a player option for the 2024-25 season. He'll earn $44.4 million this season as the final year on his previous deal, $46.6 million in the 2023-24 campaign and $50.4 million in the 2024-25 campaign if he exercises his player option for that year.

If he sees out that contract, it would take him through his age-40 season. As Woj noted, that would make him the first player in NBA history to play in the league as both a teenager and a 40-year-old.

While injuries have played a part in James' tenure in Los Angeles, he continues to play at a high level when he's on the court, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games last season. There's little doubt that he can still headline a contender.

Meanwhile, the majority of the teams expected to have the type of cap space next offseason that would have been needed to sign James are rebuilding squads like the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, among others.

While there is always the possibility that a contender might have been able to clear the cap space needed to bring James aboard, he's guaranteed to pair with Anthony Davis in Los Angeles—and Russell Westbrook's massive salary ($47 million this season) will be off the books, assuming he isn't traded by the team at some point this season.

That should give the Lakers the wiggle room to retool around AD and James and perhaps sign a player like Kyrie Irving to a long-term deal as they gear up for a title run. All in all, signing an extension with the Lakers made the most sense for James.

The CrawsOver Pro-Am in Seattle ended early due to condensation on the court, but organizer Jamal Crawford believed it was a successful event.

"It's supposed to drive inspiration and give hope, and they did that," Crawford said Saturday, per ESPN's Kevin Pelton. "The job was accomplished."

LeBron James also had high praise after taking part in the game:

SEATTLE!! That was SPECIAL yesterday!! WHOA 🤯🤯🤯. Even with us having to stop play because of things we couldn't control! I appreciate the love and hospitality towards me and my folks who came along for the show! 🫡 to @JCrossover @DejounteMurray @isaiahthomas. 🙏🏾🤎👊🏾👑

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 21, 2022

James and Jayson Tatum were among the NBA stars in the event at Royal Brougham Pavilion of Seattle Pacific University. Both came through with highlight plays in front of the packed crowd:

LeBron finishes the first quarter in style. pic.twitter.com/GVp7dBkSmA

— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) August 21, 2022

.@jaytatum0 is cooking at @thecrawsover three-point line ♨️ pic.twitter.com/GDC90PT8k4

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 21, 2022

Dejounte Murray, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren also took part in the competition before it was called off midway through the second quarter due to safety concerns.

Even with a disappointing finish, Crawford believed there were positive takeaways.

"I thought that overall it was great because I think it's moments and memories that the kids will never forget," the 20-year NBA veteran said.

LeBron James has been the most important player on every team he has ever played for during his illustrious NBA career, but he wasn't always paid like it.

While discussing the reality that James was never the highest-paid player on his team during his first 11 seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed the King once discussed being underpaid.

"I brought up to him that he had never actually been the highest-paid player on his team, he was tied as the highest-paid player with Chris Bosh, but he wasn't the highest-paid player," Windhorst said. "His head snapped around, and he goes, 'that's an untold story,' and he kind of went off on a rant about being underpaid, which he was. He was underpaid."

Fortunately for James, longevity means plenty of NBA riches.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers that can be worth up to $111 million if the salary cap rises in 2023-24.

As a result of the new deal, nobody in NBA history will have more career earnings than James ($532 million).

Even if some of those earnings came when he wasn't the highest-paid player on his own team.

LeBron James' feelings regarding the Los Angeles Lakers organization are reportedly what ultimately led to him signing a contract extension this week.

Speaking about the subject on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (beginning at the 2:47 mark), ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said James signed the extension because he "believes in the Lakers."

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the extension is worth $97.1 million over two years and includes a third-year player option.

Wojnarowski noted that LeBron became the highest-paid player in NBA history by signing the deal, as it will give him $532 million in guaranteed money for his career.

The 37-year-old James had been set to enter the final year of his contract, but he is now under contract through at least the 2023-24 season.

In his four seasons with the Lakers thus far, James has experienced no shortage of ups and downs. Things started off rough in 2018-19, as he was limited to 55 games due to injury and the Lakers missed the playoffs.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka swung for the fences during the ensuing offseason, acquiring All-Star big man Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.

That move paid dividends, as the Lakers won the NBA championship to close out the 2019-20 season, and James was named NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time in his illustrious career.

L.A. returned to the playoffs the following season, but it had to go through the play-in tournament after James and Davis missed time with injuries. The result was a first-round exit at the hands of the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers missed out on the playoffs once again last season, and injuries to James and Davis were a factor, as was the play of guard Russell Westbrook, who didn't assimilate as well as hoped after the Lakers acquired him from the Washington Wizards.

LeBron is arguably still the best player in the world when healthy, as evidenced by his per-game averages of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.9 three-pointers made in 56 games last season.

AD is also a dominant force when he isn't on the shelf, but keeping them both healthy has proved to be a challenge.

Additionally, the Lakers don't have many pieces to use in order to improve the roster since James, Davis and Westbrook account for the vast majority of their salary cap.

As of now, the Lakers are set to enter the 2022-23 season with largely the same roster as last season, save for some changes to the supporting cast.

There is still a chance the Lakers could package Westbrook and some draft picks in a trade for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving or the Indiana Pacers duo of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, but there seemingly hasn't been much movement on those fronts.

If the Lakers are unable to make a big move before the 2022-23 season starts, it is somewhat difficult to envision them contending for a title, although Westbrook's contract expiring at the end of the season would open things up for them to add some talent.

In that case, James signing an extension may have been an indication that he is banking on what the Lakers will be able to do in 2023-24 when they are free of Westbrook's deal.

Former NBA guard Jamal Crawford announced a star-studded group of players will be participating in his CrawsOver Pro-Am League on Saturday, including Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

The headliner, though, will be Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James:

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 I thought it was gonna be a movie… now it’s HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This will be a day like we’ve NEVER SEEN @KingJames WILL BE PLAYING @thecrawsover PRO AM!!!!!!!!!!! It’s O-V-E-R ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/wEmLW8zooq

— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) August 19, 2022

James reacted to the announcement and expressed his excitement to return to the city of Seattle:

SEATTLE LETS GET IT!! Been over 15+ years since I've been back and played ball! Well the wait is almost over!! The 👑 is BACK! @JCrossover 🫡! #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾 https://t.co/6NWxlSQg9o

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 19, 2022

Fans can tune in to watch James' game on Saturday on NBA.com and the NBA app:

LeBron.
Dejounte.
Paolo.
Chet.
IT.
MarJon.@thecrawsover is live tomorrow on https://t.co/Pqxh2EPubW and the NBA App 🎥

— NBA (@NBA) August 19, 2022

An appearance this weekend for the CrawsOver would continue a busy offseason for James. Last month, he played in the Drew League for the first time since 2011 and scored 42 points while teaming up with Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan in a 104-102 victory. He's also spent a lot of time working out with his sons Bronny and Bryce, posting videos of their progress on social media.

Earlier this week, James and the Lakers reached an agreement on a two-year, $97.1 million extension that includes a player option for the 2024-25 season.

The Drew League appearance was the 37-year-old's first game action since his 2021-22 season was cut short. James missed a total of 26 games due to various injuries as the Lakers limped to a 33-49 record and failed to make the playoffs. If his first pro-am outing was any indication, James looks primed to lead Los Angeles to a return to contention this coming season.

NBA legends and former Miami Heat teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are joining forces to executive produce a Netflix series about the 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team.

The documentary, which is entitled The Redeem Team, will feature "unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material," thanks to Netflix working with the International Olympic Committee for the first time ever, according to Angelique Jackson of Variety.

Jon Weinbach, who directed the critically acclaimed The Last Dance docuseries on Michael Jordan, will serve as the director of The Redeem Team as well.

Wade, who was an integral part of the 2008 Olympic team along with James, said the following regarding the documentary:

"In 2008, I played with heroes of mine, All-Stars, friends and future teammates. Outside of winning and showing the world that we were still the most dominant, our other big challenge was changing the perception of what everyone thought about the NBA and USA Basketball! I'm excited for everyone to get an opportunity to go behind the scenes and see all the work that went into this iconic team—The Redeem Team!"

Led by legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski on the sidelines and late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on the court, the 2008 Olympic team succeeded in putting Team USA back on top of the basketball world.

Four years earlier at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, the United States settled for a disappointing bronze medal, which served as a catalyst for a campaign to put together the best possible team and coaching staff for Beijing in 2008.

That proved to be a success, as the roster was highlighted by current and future Hall of Famers such as James, Wade, Bryant, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.

The United States went undefeated in the tournament and beat Spain 118-107 in the final to win gold.

The 2008 Olympics may have also set the stage for the formation of the Heat's "Big 3" in 2010, as LeBron and Bosh joined Wade in Miami, and went on to lead the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two championships.

Viewers across the world can begin watching The Redeem Team on Netflix when it officially drops on Oct. 7.

LeBron James inked a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension (including a 2024-25 player option) with the Los Angeles Lakers that will keep him in town for the next couple seasons at minimum.

With that in mind, James has reportedly been assured that the Lakers are willing to deal their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to improve their roster and return as contenders.

Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein provided the news Thursday.

"League sources say James, in fact, has been assured that the Lakers are willing to trade both of their available future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 if a trade that costs them both picks can realistically position the Lakers to return to contender status," Stein wrote.

James and the Lakers are trying to bounce back from a 33-49 season that ended with an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference.

Those Lakers picks have been in the news lately. Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reported Wednesday that L.A. is willing to part with both of them for Brooklyn Nets point Kyrie Irving.

However, the Nets want to retain both Irving and Kevin Durant, who has requested a trade, in hopes of running it back with the star duo in 2022-23, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst:

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also reported that the Lakers have interest in the Indiana Pacers' Buddy Hield and Myles Turner but wouldn't part with both first-rounders for that move.

Ultimately, the Lakers' first-rounders are arguably their biggest trade chips.

For now, the Lakers will go into the regular season, which begins for them on Oct. 18 against the Golden State Warriors, with their Big Three of James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, who will return after missing 42 games last year.

Other players who should see significant playing time include Austin Reaves and Talen Horton-Tucker. L.A. also added young and promising ex-first-round picks in Troy Brown Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV.

LeBron James agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, which gives them the clarity they need to move forward.

Whether that future includes Russell Westbrook for the upcoming 2022-23 season remains to be seen. But James will now be under contract through at least 2023-24, which could open the door for the Lakers to make major changes to their roster.

How Much Money?

A veteran like James typically can extend for 20 percent more than his previous salary ($44.5 million), which would come out to $53.4 million. However, that's well over the projected maximum salary for the 2023-24 season ($46.6 million).

Instead, James will be limited to $46.7 million (a 5 percent raise over his 2022-23 salary), though the exact figure won't be determined until the 2023-24 salary cap is set next June. James could earn as much as $47.6 million if the cap climbs higher than the current $133 million projection.

James also has a player option worth nearly $51 million for 2024-25 that perfectly aligns with Anthony Davis' $43.2 million early termination option.

With no one else currently under contract for that season, the Lakers might prioritize keeping their books clean for July 2024 in case both James and Davis depart. They could also go all-in on a three-year run in the hope that James and Davis finish out their respective deals.

The Lakers could then target starting over clean in 2025, when the NBA's next national television deal might reshape the league's economy.

Potential Cap Room in 2023

The Lakers have been fiercely protective of their financial flexibility while waiting for James to sign his extension. Lonnie Walker IV, their most significant offseason acquisition, is on a one-year, $6.5 million deal. They signed only second-round pick Max Christie ($1.7 million) and veteran Damian Jones ($2.6 million player option) through the 2023-24 campaign.

The Lakers could get up to $20.1 million in cap space next summer if the cap does land at $133 million and Talen Horton-Tucker picks up his $11 million player option for the 2023-24 season. That figure could jump to $31.5 million if both Horton-Tucker and Jones opt out.

If the Lakers do go the cap-space route, they'll also have the $5.8 million room mid-level exception. If they elect to stay over the cap by re-signing players such as Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Kendrick Nunn, Thomas Bryant or Juan Toscano-Anderson, they would have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level ($11.3 million) and bi-annual ($4.4 million) exceptions as long as they stay below the $168 million luxury-tax apron.

Maximum salaries next summer are projected to range from $33.3 million to $46.6 million.

Prioritizing cap space would also make the Lakers unlikely to take on additional salary via trade, which could limit their options with regard to moving Westbrook.

What's Next for Westbrook?

Per several sources connected to teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers have not been willing to part with significant draft capital to get off Westbrook's contract. But that may have been tied to uncertainty surrounding James' future, which is now put to rest.

The sense from those sources: Westbrook will have a new home when the Lakers green-light trades that include both their 2027 and 2029 first-rounders. What's still unclear is whether L.A. will be willing to do so.

If the Lakers decide to go all-in on building a contender around James and Davis for the next few seasons, holding out for the uncertainty of cap space in 2023 wouldn't be pragmatic. Instead, they should seek a team looking to get out of multiyear commitments for Westbrook and draft compensation.

After trading All-Star center Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz appear to be heading into a rebuild. They might be open to taking on picks and Westbrook's salary for players like Mike Conley (partially guaranteed for 2023-24), Malik Beasley (team option), Jordan Clarkson (player option) and Rudy Gay (player option). Patrick Beverley and Bojan Bogdanovic, who are in the final years of their respective deals, could be especially appealing to the Lakers.

The Spurs have enough cap space to make an unbalanced trade for Westbrook, but they might want the Lakers to take on Doug McDermott's $13.8 million salary for 2023-24. Josh Richardson, who's on a $12.2 million expiring contract, could also be available.

The Lakers have explored runs at Nets point guard Kyrie Irving ($36.9 million expiring contract), but it's unclear if Brooklyn would want to include Joe Harris' $19.9 million salary for 2023-24 as well. The Pacers have Buddy Hield, a former client of Lakers executive Rob Pelinka, at $18.6-23.3 million for next season (depending on incentives). Los Angeles has also explored a deal for Pacers center Myles Turner with the expectation that he would extend or re-sign beyond his current $17.5-20 million salary for 2022-23.

It's unclear if the Lakers would be willing to take on players who are under contract beyond 2024-25, like Julius Randle of the New York Knicks or Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets.

Bronny

James' decision about whether to pick up his player option in 2024-25 could depend on his son, Bronny James, who projects to be draft-eligible in 2024.

The Lakers owe a first-round pick that year to the New Orleans Pelicans, though New Orleans can defer the selection to 2025. They also won't have their second-rounder.

L.A. does have the higher second-round pick between the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies, but will that be high enough to land Bronny should he decide to declare?

If the Lakers hope to keep James beyond 2023-24, finding a way to get Bronny in the draft could be the key.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.