LeBron James is spotted in Saudi Arabia just weeks after joking he would play there, amid rumors of a two-year $1BILLION deal
- The 38-year-old previously joked that he would move to the Kingdom for a lot of money
- His eldest son, Bronny, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect last month
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LeBron James has been spotted in Saudi Arabia just weeks after joking that he might play there in the future, amid rumors he could receive a $1 billion contract offer from a basketball team there.
The 38-year-old Lakers star shared a selfie taken by Bader bin Farhan Alsaud – the Kingdom’s culture minister – on his Instagram story on Thursday, along with the caption: ‘Love my brother!!! Until the next.’
James’ agent Maverick Carter and two other individuals were also in the group photo.
The reason why the four-time NBA champion was in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh this week is unclear, although an online report claims that James was invited to attend a friendly at AZM Academy.
Footage of James exiting a building along with several businessmen also went viral on social media a few days ago.
LeBron James (center) with Saudi Culture Minister Bader bin Farhan Alsaud (front)
Earlier this week, footage of James leaving with Saudi businessmen went viral on social media
However, a Lakers fan needn’t worry that ‘The King’ will be leaving the Purple and Gold any time soon, although it doesn’t seem entirely out of the question that James could play in the Middle East for a huge sum once he frees up some time. his NBA career.
Back in July, James shared a GIF of a Forrest Gump sprint to show fans how fast he would head to Saudi Arabia if he received a staggering amount of money to play there.
Kylian Mbappe – a French soccer superstar for Paris Saint-German – was offered a $776 million offer to play for Al-Hilal this summer, but turned it down to continue playing in Europe.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo previously revealed that he would move to Saudi Arabia if he got an offer he couldn’t refuse.
James has two years left on his $99 million contract with the Lakers, which includes a player option
James, who has been linked to a two-year, $1 billion contract to play for Al-Hilal Sportsmancould be in turmoil after a visit to Saudi Arabia because of the history of human rights violations in the Kingdom.
But that hasn’t stopped other superstar athletes from moving there, with the likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson now living in the country.
It’s been a busy summer for James, whose oldest son, Bronny, is still recovering from cardiac arrest in July. The incoming USC player was later diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
James also attended a Drake concert and an LA Dodgers game last month on his bobblehead night with his family.
He has two years left on his $99 million contract with the Lakers, which includes a player option for the 2024-2025 season. James has previously stated that he would like to be on the same team that will face Bronny, if his son is drafted by an NBA team.