Basketball superstar LeBron James has signed a four-year, $154 million deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers, his agency, Klutch Sports Group, announced Sunday night.
James did not pick up his option Friday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he led to its fourth straight NBA finals this year, only to be swept by the Golden State Warriors in four games.
Some had expected the move to Los Angeles, where the Ohio native owns two homes. The announcement came on the first day of free agency.
James, 33, is a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and arguably the league’s most dominant player.
He joined the league In 2003 as the first overall draft pick by Cleveland.
But he shocked fans in 2010 by going to Miami, where he won his first championship with the Heat in 2012.
Two years later, it was back to the Cavs. And in June 2016, they beat the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in a deciding Game 7 to win the NBA Championship. His performance earned him unanimous MVP honors.
The victory was the first major sports championship for a Cleveland team since 1964.
The Lakers haven’t made the playoffs in five years.
