LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James' next NBA chapter will be set on the West Coast.
James will be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $153.3 million contract. He will try to bring the storied franchise another championship.
The announcement was made through his agency, Klutch Sports Group, which announced the deal as $154 million.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that the fourth year is a player option. It is the longest deal James has signed since inking a six-year contract with the Miami Heat in 2010. His previous three deals were three years or shorter.
James leaves his hometown team as a free agent for the second time in his career. Four years ago, James had stated his intention to finish his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whether the four-time MVP and 14-time All-Star does that or not, he certainly has left his mark on his city.
James, 33, thanked his home area in an Instagram story. He wrote 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 so 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.
"Words do not express the meaning and the feeling this accomplishment brought to the people of Northeast Ohio," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said in a lengthy statement thanking James. "None of this would have happened if LeBron James did not agree to come back home and lead the Cavaliers to the promised land.
"LeBron is a family man, first. We wish his kids, his wife, Savannah, his mother, Gloria, and LeBron himself nothing but the best in the years and decades ahead. LeBron's connection to Akron, Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio will most certainly endure as his commitment to the region and his support of many important causes has been impactful to so many kids and families.
"LeBron, you came home and delivered the ultimate goal. Nothing but appreciation and gratitude for everything you put into every moment you spent in a Cavaliers uniform. We look forward to the retirement of the famous #23 Cavs jersey one day down the line ..."
James leaves the Cavaliers franchise as its leader in nearly every major statistical category: games played, points, rebounds, assists and steals.
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 it off with a postseason performance as dominant as any playoff run James has ever been part of.
James becomes the first player in NBA history to lead a postseason in scoring and switch teams the following offseason.
He joins the illustrious list of NBA legends to play for the Lakers, some of whom have already welcomed James to the family.
I am sure the Lakernation is rejoicing The acquisition of LeBron James means that the Lakers are just a smidgen away from being real contenders. Congrats to @MagicJohnson & @LALakersLive et al. Cross your fingers for news from San Antonio. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) July 2, 2018
NBA players past and present reacted on Twitter too.
James' agent, Rich Paul, called Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson minutes before he sent the announcement tweet, a source told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. Paul then called Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman as soon as he got off the phone with Johnson.
Then the tweet was sent.
The Lakers, after failing to get a meeting with free-agent target Paul George prior to George's announcement that he would re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder, have secured free agency's most coveted player.
In the franchise's biggest free-agent splash since Shaquille O'Neal became a Laker in the summer of 1996, Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka have delivered a major piece of the plan they plotted when they joined the Lakers in February 2017. Johnson took the job largely to restore the franchise's glorious past and recruit elite superstars to Los Angeles -- something the franchise had struggled with in recent years. James joins the league's second-youngest team when weighted by playing time from last season. The Lakers have an up-and-coming young core of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
Top 8 Scorers Points A Laker? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387 Yes Karl Malone 36,928 Yes Kobe Bryant 33,643 Yes Michael Jordan 32,292 No Wilt Chamberlain 31,419 Yes Dirk Nowitzki 31,187 No LeBron James 31,038 Yes Shaquille O'Neal 28,596 Yes
Which of the Lakers' young prospects will stay to play alongside James remains to be seen. The Lakers have been trying to acquire Kawhi Leonard, who reportedly is unhappy with the San Antonio Spurs and would prefer to play for the Lakers. The Spurs would surely want as many prospects and assets as possible from the Lakers in exchange for the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
A source told Shelburne that the Lakers felt a sense of urgency this week to find a co-star to play alongside James, either through free agency with George or through a trade for Leonard. Johnson went to one of James' houses in Los Angeles late Saturday night and met with him for several hours, sources told Shelburne. However, when Johnson spoke to James and James' camp at the opening of free agency, James assured the Lakers that this was a long-term play for him and his decision wouldn't be affected by a single transaction the Lakers could make under time pressure.
James made it clear that this latest NBA-altering decision would be made with his family in mind. James has two homes in Los Angeles, where his off-the-court business interests can thrive.
Johnson and Pelinka will continue to work to surround James with more talent in order to challenge the Warriors and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference. But Johnson has landed the biggest fish he was trying to catch.
Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss said she had ultimate faith in Johnson and Pelinka, but she also said last week that she wants to see the Lakers, who went 35-47 last season, return to the postseason for the first time since 2012-13.
Johnson said last week that if he failed to add stars to the Lakers by next summer, he would step down from his job.
That is moot with the team landing James.
"No pressure on me," Johnson said last week when asked if he felt urgency to add a star in this free agency. "I am going to do my job. I have always done that. ... Do you know how many Finals I have been in [as a player]? So you think I am worried about this? I have played against Larry Bird in the Finals. I mean, come on, man. I have been in nine Finals. I have been in college NCAA championships."
When told that this is a different job than being the point guard who orchestrated the Lakers' "Showtime" dynasty, Johnson reminded people of who he is.
"I'm Magic Johnson. I am still the same dude," he said. "I am not going to change. No pressure on me. I am going to do my job. That's what I do. I do my job. I'm excited. It's fun. I am looking forward to it."
And enjoying it.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.
LOS ANGELES, KOMPAS.com - Los Angeles Lakers telah resmi menggaet bintang Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, dengan nilai kontrak mencapai Rp 2,2 triliun dan durasi selama empat tahun, Senin (2/7/2018).
Hal ini diumumkan oleh agen sang pemain, Klutch Sports Group. Ini adalah kali kedua James meninggalkan Cavaliers dengan status free agent setelah pada tahun 2010 hengkang ke Miami Heat.
Meskipun sudah berusia 33 tahun, James masih terus konsisten menampilkan performa gemilang. Pada musim 2018, James berhasil membawa Cavaliers menjadi runner up dan mencatatkan beberapa rekor pribadi.
Welcome to the family @KingJames #lakers4life #striveforgreatness @JeanieBuss @MagicJohnson and RP well done!!! ????????
Media playback is not supported on this device LeBron James: New LA Lakers star's top plays from last season are amazing
Basketball star LeBron James has joined Los Angeles Lakers in a four-year deal worth $154m (£116m).
The 33-year-old, who has played in eight consecutive NBA finals, moves to the Lakers from Cleveland Cavaliers.
James, who became a free agent on 1 July, is widely considered the best basketball player in the world.
"Thank you Northeast Ohio for an incredible four seasons," said James on his Instagram account. "This will always be home."
The three-time NBA champion was selected by the Cavaliers in 2003 as the first pick in the player draft and established himself as one of the league's best players. He was named the NBA's most valuable player in 2009 and 2010 and controversially moved to Miami in 2010.
James won his first NBA title in 2012 and added a second championship the following year.
He then opted out of the final two years of his Miami contract and returned to Cleveland.
James helped Cleveland to their first NBA title in 2016, as they overturned a 3-1 deficit in the NBA finals to beat Golden State.
Cleveland's success also ended the city's 52-year wait for a major sporting title.
Greatest ever? 4 x NBA MVP 14 x NBA All-Star 3 X NBA Champion 2 x Olympic gold medal 3 x NBA finals MVP 7th all-time regular season points 8 x NBA finals appearances 1st all-time play-offs points
LeBron James is the greatest player of this generation, he might be the greatest player of all time, and as of Sunday night, he's on the Lakers. This is strange to think about in July, and when LeBron is in purple and gold opening the season on national television, I'm sure it will be twice as bizarre. For now though, Sunday's announcement was nowhere near as dramatic as The Decision in 2010 or LeBron's Sports Illustrated letter in 2014. The news broke when Klutch Sports released a three-line statement which read: "LeBron James, four-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, fourteen-time NBA All-Star, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist has agreed to a four-year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers."
So there you go.
The Lakers always made the most sense. After years of fumbling around with a rebuild that was going nowhere, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka played the past 12 months perfectly. It required several trades and rigorous adherence to a plan that always pointed to this summer, but they entered the offseason with cap space to recruit two stars, and young players who could be traded to add a third. This was the first time in six years that L.A. recruiting pitches were more substantial than "We have banners and great weather."
In the end, the Lakers were attractive to LeBron for many of the same reasons the Cavs were in 2014. They are asset-rich and perfectly equipped to help LeBron build a superteam for the next phase of his career. L.A. is also (sort of) home to LeBron and his family. So the package the Lakers could sell makes sense in ways that alternatives in Houston and Philadelphia never quite did.
Looking ahead, I'm excited about this chapter of LeBron's career for a few reasons: 1. The relationship with Kobe is going to be incredibly weird and entertaining, and even if this experiment fails on the court, we're getting four years to watch those guys interact. Also, that entire sentence applies double to Magic Johnson. 2. If LeBron can take this Lakers team to the Finals in the next two years, he's probably going to be facing Kyrie Irving and the Celtics in a series that will split the earth in half. 3. This is, without question, the biggest challenge of LeBron's career.
It's difficult to imagine at the moment, but it's important to be clear-eyed about the real possibility that LeBron on the Lakers is disappointing. It probably won't be Jordan on the Wizards, but it could definitely become something like Joe Montana on the Chiefs. The key difference from that timeline for Montana—and the reason this is a risk—is that with LeBron it won't be easy to simply just pretend that none of this ever happened. The Lakers move is coming after a year in which LeBron was more or less universally celebrated as this generation's version of Jordan. Now he's pushing all those chips back to the middle of the table. The Lakers are not the Chiefs. He will be at the center of the sport no matter what direction this goes.
He wasn't a perfect player in Cleveland this year, but it didn't matter. LeBron has already accomplished so much, and answered so many criticisms, at this point most basketball fans just want to enjoy this. So when the Cavs won this season, it was because he did something heroic. When the Cavs lost, it was on everyone else. He was almost post-criticism. Many in the media answered Cavs failures by asking why Dan Gilbert would ever trade Kyrie Irving when he didn't absolutely have to, but not many asked why LeBron never went to Kyrie directly and tried recruiting him to stay.
Mark J. Terrill/AP
It's fair to wonder how much longer any LeBron criticism will read like blasphemy. He has put together a credible case for being superhuman thus far, but at some point his talent will begin declining over the next few years. He's already stopped playing defense for long stretches of the regular season, and there have been times when it's clear he's pacing himself on both ends.
If nothing else, everyone can agree that LeBron will need other stars around him. That will be the most interesting test. Beyond what he's done on the court, half of LeBron's mystique is rooted in his ability to conjure empires wherever he goes. But he's older now, and he's of a different generation than most of the stars he'll be recruiting over the next few years. Most of his Banana Boat peers on their way out of the league, and it remains to be seen whether the chance to play with LeBron will be as attractive for guys who didn't grow up with him.
Kyrie Irving and Paul George have already turned down the chance to play with LeBron. He is a domineering presence in a literal sense, but that also applies in the abstract: it's hard for a young superstar to grow past a certain level so long as LeBron is intent on being the biggest star on the planet. So while it's probably a little early to go DEFCON: TAKE with the "Do today's stars want to play with LeBron James??" questions, that's going to be a legitimate point of interest over the next few years. He'll need help to stay at the top of the league, and his influence on his peers is more uncertain than it once was. Landing Kawhi Leonard seems likely, but Kawhi alone is not enough to counter with Golden State. So what next?
There's also an ineffable quality to the risk in all this. While some of LeBron's mystique is rooted in his ability to build superteams—he and the Heat were the ones who made that term ubiquitous—what's really made him special is the ability to chart his own course through NBA history. He's been revolutionary as a businessman and team-builder in equal measure, and he's managed his own career better than anyone could have imagined when he entered the league fifteen years ago. That quality will be in the first paragraph of every LeBron story whenever he retires. On the court and off, he sees paths where no one else does.
The Lakers are a path that everyone saw. After five years of rumors connecting L.A. to half the league's stars, and decades of superstars actually making that move, joining this organization almost feels like a cliche. Something about it feels beneath LeBron, and it could get a little bit depressing as the years pass. If he can't make the Finals and struggles to attract other stars over the next few years, there's a chance that we will be looking at him marooned on an island not unlike Kobe Bryant, only Kobe was living that timeline after winning five titles for a team and fanbase that worshipped him. LeBron would be living that scenario as the guy who joined the Basketball Yankees and didn't win anything. Failure will bring more impatience, and more drama, but also the risk that the general public will be tired of all this.
LeBron is keenly aware of how he's perceived. It's probably why he announced this decision on July 1st with very little fanfare; he could sense that this was not the summer to draw out an announcement and make a spectacle out of this decision. He is also well-aware that at this point in his career, he's chasing ghosts. Legacy matters to him. And while the Lakers move feels less revolutionary than some his past moves, history around his Heat decision has been airbrushed in large part because it worked. The same can happen in L.A.
Speaking of which, if we're talking about the risks of life with the Lakers, we should consider the alternative. For the next 12 months, LeBron on the Lakers will be the biggest story in sports. His relationships with Kobe, Magic, and Lonzo will be the source of endless fascination, and they'll probably add Kawhi to the mix, too. Off the court he can get deeper into the entertainment business while his family settles in Southern California. On the court, there's no bigger platform in the NBA, and maybe in all of sports, than what the Lakers can offer. The Warriors currently have the most dominant team assembled in at least 20 years. LeBron will take the next few seasons and try to beat them, and the whole world will be watching.
His game may have to evolve as he ages. He'll have to recruit stars who are 5-10 years younger than he is. He'll be dealing with a conference full of much tougher challenges than the Pacers and Raptors, not to mention Golden State and Boston teams that have near-flawless foundations and look poised to own the foreseeable future of the league. Meanwhile, the Lakers just signed Javale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Lance Stephenson. The odds are not in LeBron's favor for a number of reasons. If he can find a way to succeed anyway, there's a very good chance that we end this Lakers chapter talking about him as the most dominant presence the NBA has ever seen, and a more transcendent player than Jordan. And that would be the reward.
