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!!! ????????
LOS ANGELES — Three days after he lost the NBA Finals for the sixth time, LeBron James underwent a root canal. For 72 hours he sat alone inside his Ohio mansion, wife and three children away at an out-of-town AAU tournament, flanked only by a chef preparing meals he wasn’t able to eat. As he recovered from one root canal, he pondered another, more painful and stubborn. The Warriors, as usual, gave him something to chew on.
In the two weeks following the Finals, James held three meetings at home with his closest advisors, in which they attempted to peg free-agent destinations where he might be able to satisfy his family and eventually vault his nemesis. Their talks focused on the Rockets, 76ers, Lakers and Cavaliers. James instructed his agent, Rich Paul, to research those organizations and present him with feedback when he returned from a vacation in Anguilla.
James has slow-pedaled his last two free-agent decisions, but from the moment his private plane landed at Van Nuys Airport in L.A. on Saturday, he was proceeding with unusual urgency. He met with Paul extensively Saturday and planned communication with the Cavs, Sixers and Lakers. But he was clearly focused on the new home team. He talked with Kobe Bryant over the phone and invited Magic Johnson to his house in Brentwood. Late Saturday night, Johnson walked through the door.
Much was made of the Lakers quest to acquire Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs or sign Paul George from the Thunder as a precursor to landing James. Johnson, already jilted by George, didn’t have either in hand. James explained that he was in no rush, even at 33, and did not have a problem being the first headliner through the door. He wants to build a contender that lasts and believes the Lakers possess the recruiters, the assets and the salary cap space to do it.
Jason Miller/Getty Images
In Cleveland, James played for Dan Gilbert and in Miami for Pat Riley. He relates to Johnson, the Lakers president, on an entirely different level. In terms of personality, playing style, community involvement and business aspiration, there may be only one figure in sports quite like James, and it’s Johnson. James’s associates could sense that the idea of a partnership with Johnson enthralled him.
On Sunday morning, James ate breakfast with his wife on the patio at A Votre Sante in Brentwood. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for governor of California, stopped at their table and asked where he was headed. James kept quiet. Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, also swung by and delivered her case for the Lakers. There is little doubt the club’s cachet played as much a part in James’s thinking as Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. James grew up a Cowboys and a Yankees fan, but he has never suited up for an iconic institution. Even though the Rockets and Sixers are loaded in comparison to the Lakers, they did not capture the imagination in the same way.
On Sunday afternoon, James and his wife went back to Van Nuys Airport. They were flying east again, this time to Europe, for a couple’s trip. His advisors didn’t know if he’d pick a team before he left for Europe or after he landed, or even after he returned. They prepared an old-fashioned press release under the letterhead of Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports Group, but they weren’t sure if or when they’d distribute it. James phoned Paul as he was boarding the private plane. “Call the Lakers,” he said.
In 1968, Wilt Chamberlain came to Los Angeles from Philadelphia. In 1975, it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, from Milwaukee. In 1996, it was Shaquille O’Neal, from Orlando. In 2018, it is LeBron James, and the stakes are no different. In a personal sense, James is taking a staggering risk, moving at a relatively advanced age to a place with astronomic expectations and peculiar pressures. If all goes well, and the Lakers rediscover glory, he joins the pantheon with Shaq and Kareem. If it doesn’t, and they remain stuck behind Golden State and Houston, what does that look like? Subtweets from Kobe? Jabs from LaVar? Diss tracks from 21-year-old sidekicks? In Cleveland, James was lionized for reasons beyond basketball. The L.A. experience may remind him more of Miami, where it was win or else.
Then again, for the best player in the world, perhaps that’s always the bargain: destiny fulfilled or another June root canal. Someday, in the next several years, James will not be the best player in the world or the biggest draw in the sport. To win, he will need a lure besides himself, and here is where Magic and the Lakers come in. Despite all of L.A.’s recent free-agent whiffs, NBA players almost universally acknowledge that the Lakers are the league’s most attractive destination, as long as they meet a baseline for talent and competence. With Johnson and Rob Pelinka, with Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, they’ve crossed the threshold.
By Sunday night, James was in Europe, leaving the party behind. Expect no interviews, no videos, no elaborate explanations for at least a month. Changing teams for a third time, and leaving Cleveland for a second, is not a cause for celebration. He is no closer to the Warriors than he was three weeks ago, except geographically. He embarks on a new road north, following the footsteps of legends.
James has been to nine NBA finals in total, winning with Miami in 2012 and 2013, and Cleveland in 2016
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.
