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Why LeBron James didn't wait to extend with the Lakers

LeBron James currently sits atop the basketball world, a reigning champion and Finals MVP. He has stated the belief that the Los Angeles Lakers can repeat. He is less than a year from the planned release of his Space Jam movie, the culmination of his entry into entertainment a decade ago.

But, perhaps for the first time in his career, James is admitting some mortality. That is why, sources described to ESPN, he elected to sign a two-year, $85 million contract extension through 2023 with the Lakers on Wednesday.