Less than two months after he joked about taking a one-year deal to play in Saudi Arabia, LeBron James was seen in the country's capital city, Riyadh.
TMZ reports that the 38-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar was spotted on a trip to Saudi Arabia this week, although the exact nature of his visit is unclear. In a video, he was seen leaving a venue with a small entourage, while a photo showed him inside a gymnasium-type setting with a banner that read "Welcome to Arabia" and "Ministry of Sport." At some point during the trip, he watched Saudi prospects at the AZM Academy play a game of basketball.
The timing of the visit is somewhat suspect, though, as LeBron recently joked about signing a one-year deal to play in Saudi Arabia in a tweet shared in July. "Me headed to Saudi when they call @RichPaul4 [Rich Paul] & @mavcarter [Maverick Carter] for that 1 year deal!" James wrote alongside a GIF of Tom Hanks running in Forest Gump.
His visit comes less than a month after Giannis Antetokounmpo told TMZ that he would consider playing in Saudi Arabia after his NBA career. Asked what it would take, however, he replied, "A lot of money."
Last year, Cristiano Ronaldo signed a $75 million-per-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr FC. Former Paris Saint-Germain F.C. player Neymar also completed a deal to transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal on a two-year contract last month, which fetched him €90 million (roughly $96 million).
That deal is nothing compared to the record-breaking bid Kylian Mbappé received in July: €300 million ($332m) for one year, also from Al-Hilal. The offer is also seemingly what prompted LeBron to share his joke, suggesting he'd consider moving to Saudi Arabia if he got an offer as lucrative. Remember, LeBron signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022 that gave him $532 million in guaranteed career earnings, making him the highest-paid player in NBA history. Perhaps he'll make do with that.
