The King has found his new kingdom
LeBron James has agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers following his free agency, signing a four year contract worth $154 million over four years (£117 million).
His sports agency Klutch Sports announced the news with a press release on Sunday night, and the whole thing proved to be low key compared to the furore surrounding his free agency move to the Miami Heat, 2010’s ‘The Decision’, and his return back to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014.
The move to LA has long been rumoured, however, and it is well known that LeBron owns property in the city as well as several business interests. Reportedly, the four-time MVP verbally agreed to the move after former Laker great and current president of the franchise Magic Johnson visited one of his homes in Brentwood.
James, who brought his hometown state of Cleveland it’s first professional sports title in 52 years (as he promised), told the organisation that drafted him with the number one overall pick all the way back in 2003 he would leaving them for the second time on Saturday night via a phonecall with owner Dan Gilbert.
The three-time NBA champion will be joining a young Lakers roster that won only 35 games last season, but undoubtedly has talent in the form of point guard Lonzo Ball and wings Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma.
Whether all three remain on the team remains to be seen as the Lakers continue to pursue former NBA finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, who has made clear his intentions to leave the San Antonio Spurs, either by trade or when he himself hits free agency in a years time.
The Lakers were always seen as a highly desirable destination for James due to its storied history as a franchise and the city itself, which will no doubt help the 33-year-old transition into a one-man business empire -if he isn’t that already – after his playing career is over.
Doubts came over whether he would want to play in the Western Conference, currently far stronger than the East and a much harder route to the NBA finals as it contains the reigning champions of the last two years the Golden State Warriors, as well as the current MVP in James Harden (the Houston Rockets) and Paul George and Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
Should James push a franchise – that hasn’t even sniffed playoff basketball since being swept in the first round in 2013 – back into contention, it will simply be another notch on his belt as he lays claim to being the greatest basketballer of all time, for him now the only thing left to conquer.
