LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million option with the Lakers for 2025-26, further confirming that he will become the first player in NBA history to play a 23rd season.

James, who recently returned to on-court workouts after taking several weeks to recover after spraining a knee ligament in the Lakers’ final game of this past season’s playoffs, told the AP earlier this month he expected to be ready for training camp. That was an obvious sign he planned on returning for a 23rd year, one in which he’ll break a tie with Vince Carter for longest NBA career by a player.

“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James said in that interview.

If any doubt existed even after that about James, the NBA’s oldest current player, coming back for at least one more season, it’s gone now. He had until Sunday afternoon to make his decision on the option, one that pushes his career on-court earnings to about $580 million.

Julius Randle and the Timberwolves are finalizing a new deal that could keep him with the club through the 2027-28 season. The final year of the deal will be at Randle’s option and, if it is exercised, could push the total value of the contract to $100 million. ... Bojan Bogdanovic announced his retirement Sunday after 10 NBA seasons, citing injury.

Soccer: Resting up to play in a record sixth World Cup is more important to Cristiano Ronaldo than switching teams to play in the Club World Cup. Ronaldo says in an Instagram video posted by his Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr that “I had some offers to play (Club) World Cup but I think it didn’t make sense because I prefer to have a good rest, a good preparation, because this season will be very long, because this is the season of the World Cup, at the end of the season.”