James
will be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $153.3 million contract.
James
will be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $153.3 million contract.
The announcement was made through
his agency, Klutch Sports Group, which announced the deal as $154 million.
ESPN reports that the fourth year is
a player option. It's the longest deal James has signed since inking a six-year
deal with the Heat in 2010.
His previous three deals were all three years or
shorter.
James leaves his hometown team as a free agent for a second time in his career. Four years
ago, James had stated his intention to finish his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But whether the four-time MVP and
14-time All Star does that or not, he certainly left his mark in his city.
James thanked his home area in an
Instagram story. Saying in text overlaying a photo from the Cavaliers' 2016 NBA
title victory parade, "Thank you Northeast Ohio for an incredible 4
seasons. This will always be home."
He delivered the first championship
to the sports-obsessed city in 52 years and did it with storybook gusto,
helping the Cavaliers become the first team in NBA Finals history to rally from
a 3-1 series deficit to win it all. The team he took down, the Golden State Warriors, had the best regular-season
record in league history at 73-9.
James leaves the franchise as its leader in
nearly every major statistical category: games played, points, rebounds,
assists and steals. And if 2017-18 was his final act in Cleveland, what a show
he put on, playing in all 82 games for the first time in his 15-year career and
capping that off with a postseason performance as personally dominant as any
playoff run he's ever been a part of.
James will
become the first player in NBA history to lead a post season in scoring and
then switch teams the following off season.
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