By Alastair Talbot via Dailymail.com
Updated at 22:01 on September 6, 2023, updated at 13:21 on September 7, 2023
- The 38-year-old has previously joked that he would move to the Kingdom for the huge pile of cash.
- His eldest son Brownie was diagnosed with congenital heart disease last month
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
LeBron James has been spotted in Saudi Arabia, where he joked a few weeks ago that he might play there in the future amid rumors he will receive a $1 billion contract from a basketball team there.
The 38-year-old Lakers star shared a selfie taken by the Kingdom’s Culture Minister Bader bin Farhan Alsaud on his Instagram Story on Thursday with the caption: “Love My brother!!!” Until next time.
James’ agent Maverick Carter and two others also appeared in the photo.
The reason why the four-time NBA champion is in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh this week is unclear, although online reports suggest that James has been invited to participate in a friendly match at the AZM Academy.
Just days ago, a video of James leaving the building with several businessmen went viral on social media.
However, Lakers fans shouldn’t worry about “The King” leaving the purple and gold anytime soon, although it doesn’t seem entirely impossible for James to play in a Middle Eastern country and earn huge bonuses once he retires. his NBA career.
In July, James shared a Forrest Gump GIF to show fans how quickly he would go to Saudi Arabia if he was offered a large sum of money to play there.
French football superstar Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain received 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 he would move to Saudi Arabia if he received an offer he couldn’t refuse.
James signs two-year, $1 billion deal with Al Hilal sports manorHe may find himself in chaos after visiting Saudi Arabia due to the kingdom’s history of human rights abuses.
However, that hasn’t stopped other superstar athletes from moving there, with the likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson now residing in the country.
It’s been a busy summer for James, whose eldest son Bronny is still recovering from a cardiac arrest in July. The USC-bound player was later diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
James also attended a Drake concert and a Los Angeles Dodgers game with his family during his bobblehead night last month.
He has two years left on his $99 million contract with the Lakers, which includes a player option for the 2024-25 season. James has previously stated that if his son is drafted by an NBA team, he hopes to be on the same team as Bronny.