James: I m not worried about the contract. I m honored to have a contract to play the game I love.

Today, Lakers forward James attended the media day of the new season and was interviewed by ESPN.

In the 2025-26 season, James will become the only player in NBA history to compete for 23 seasons, breaking the longest career record in the league held with Vince Carter. Additionally, James will start the new season with his contract expiry for the first time in eight seasons he has played for the Lakers.

Despite the unique situation—the 21-time All-Star player and just selected to the NBA All-Second team did not receive financial commitments for the team’s future—James said his contract status would not affect his performance this season.

"This won't have any impact," James said in an interview with ESPN. "I'm very excited about the challenges and excitement the team faces. We've added some new players, our coaching staff has another year of experience, and Luca (Doncic) will spend the full season with us, and another season with my other teammates. So I'm very much looking forward to it.

" At this stage of my career, I'm not worried about contract issues, which is not a problem for me at all. I feel very honored to be able to still have a contract at this stage of my career and continue to play the games I love and will make the most of this opportunity. ”