LeBron James is leaving Cleveland (again) and heading to Los Angeles. The NBA superstar has agreed to a four-year, $154-million contract with the Lakers, according to a release from his agency, Klutch Sports Group, Sunday.
The 33-year-old is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the LA team, which has been struggling for years to rebuild and reclaim its once-unmatched talent and reputation after several record-setting losing seasons.
This will be the third time in eight years that James, one of the best players in NBA history and self-declared GOAT, has switched teams. He returned to the Cavs in 2014 after four seasons with the Miami Heat and in two years led the team to NBA championships, the city's first in 52 years.
James is famously extremely talented. He's won three championships and has appeared in the NBA Finals every year since 2011. In his last season with the Cavs, he averaged 27.5 points per game and carried the team through four finals games against the Golden State Warriors.
According to ESPN, there have been only three other players in history who have changed teams after a top-three MVP season.
James made his decision to trade his hometown for LA only a day after becoming a free agent and just 20 hours after the market opened.
The star confirmed the news on Instagram, thanking "Northeast Ohio for an incredible 4 seasons."
"This will always be home," the Akron native wrote in a Story on the platform.
Hearing the news, Lakers fans, players, and basically the entire city of Los Angeles freaked the F out and shared their excitement.