James to play 24th season elsewhere

LOS ANGELES –  NBA superstar LeBron James will return for an unprecedented 24th season but not with the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that rocked the league on Tuesday as free agency opened.

“Truly an honor to wear the (purple and gold) while trying to continue the greatness and legacies that came before me,” James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, said in a post on X, replying to a “thank you” post from Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss.

Buss’ farewell to James on social media had confirmed multiple media reports that the 41-year-old forward would depart the Lakers after eight years.