LeBron James to sign with L.A. Lakers

AP | LeBron James is signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA’s best player announced Sunday night that he has agreed to a 4-year, US$154 million contract with the Lakers, joining one of the league’s most storied franchises and switching conferences to try and dethrone the Golden State Warriors and grow his own legacy.

For the 2nd time in his career, James is saying goodbye to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drafted the teenage sensation from Akron in 2003 and have to be satisfied with winning just one title in the 11 years they had him.

Unlike his 2 previous forays in free agency, James did not drag out his decision and made the announcement less than 24 hours after NBA free agency opened.

This “Summer of LeBron” was barely a fling.

His management agency, Klutch Sports Group, announced his agreement with the Lakers in a release. It was a stark contrast from 8 years ago, when a poorly conceived TV special to announce his departure from Cleveland backfired and damaged James’ image.

James isn’t planning any more comments and there won’t be a welcoming press conference or celebration in Los Angeles, a person familiar with his plans said Sunday night on the condition of anonymity. James will make his next public comments on July 30 in Akron when he opens a public school started by his family foundation.

Welcome to the family

It was all different this time.

The game’s biggest star will now lead a young Lakers team – run by Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson – that has been overmatched in recent years while rebuilding. But the Lakers will instantly rise with James, a 3-time champion who after being swept by the Warriors in this year’s NBA Finals said he is still driven and very much in “championship mode.”

The Lakers’ legacy is something that appealed to James and it wasn’t long after his announcement that he heard from Kobe Bryant, who won 5 titles during 20 seasons with Los Angeles.

Los Angeles will also provide James with a larger platform for his business interests and social activism. He already owns 2 homes in Southern California and has a film production company.

This is the 3rd time in 8 years James has changed teams. After bolting from Cleveland in 2010, he returned in an emotional homecoming 4 years later, determined to make the Cavs champions. The 33-year-old had previously said he wanted to finish his career in Ohio, and although he’s leaving again, Cavs fans are more forgiving after he ended the city’s 52-year sport title drought in 2016.

Shortly after the announcement, which came in a surprising manner, James posted a 3-photo tribute to Cleveland fans on his Instagram account.

“Thank you Northeast Ohio for an incredible 4 seasons,” James wrote in an Instagram story. “This will always be home.”

But there will always be a portion of Cleveland fans disappointed that James left again and that he wouldn’t give the Cavs a longer commitment. His deal with the Lakers is his longest since he signed for 6 years with Miami in 2010.

James informed the Cavs on Friday that he was not exercising his US$35.6 million option and becoming a free agent. While in Los Angeles following a family vacation, he spoke to Cavs general manager Koby Altman moments after free agency opened on Sunday, and it appears that was more a courtesy than a chance for Cleveland to make one last pitch.

Not surprising

The decision to join the Lakers was not a surprise to his innermost circle, with one person telling reporters that it had been presumed for some time that he was headed to Los Angeles next season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one authorized that detail be released publicly.

James gave Cleveland something to remember in his final season. He played in all 82 regular-season games and then somehow carried a team that underwent several transformations to a 4th straight conference title and matchup against the Warriors.

As has been the case in the past, James didn’t have enough help as the Cavs were swept, dropping him to 3-6 in the NBA Finals – a record sometimes used to compare him to Michael Jordan.

His stay with the Cavaliers will best be remembered for 2016, when he rallied the Cavs from a 3-1 deficit in the finals to stun the Warriors. James helped seal a Game 7 win with a chase-down block of Andre Iguodala, the signature moment of a career that has shown no signs of decay.

With the Lakers, James will be playing in the Western Conference for the 1st time and just down the Pacific Coast Highway from the Warriors, the team that has stymied him three times in the past 4 finals.

The chance to play for one of America’s most storied franchises was appealing to James, who prides himself on knowing the game’s history. In Los Angeles, championships are the standard and he’ll feel new pressure in upholding the legacies of Johnson, Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and other Lakers greats.