OTD 2018: LeBron Signed With Los Angeles Lakers

July 1st, 2018: After leading his hometown Cleveland Cavs to the NBA Finals the last 4 seasons (won 1), SF LeBron James signed a 4y/$153M contract with the Los Angeles #Lakers which led to their 1st playoff appearance in 7 seasons & 1st title in 10 yearspic.twitter.com/vBrA6SHGWI
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 2, 2021

On this day in 2018, LeBron James announced that he would start a new chapter in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He had led his hometown Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals and brought home the title in 2016, ending the city’s 52-year championship drought but decided that it was time for a change. Signing a 4y/$153M contract, LeBron immediately displayed his eagerness to be among the Lakers’ all-time greats.

The King showed in his first season he was still the top SF in the NBA by posting 27.4 PPG, 8.3 APG, and 8.5 RPG on .510 percent shooting from the field. In 2020, during a bizarre season interrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, LeBron along with his co-star Anthony Davis led the Lakers to their 17th championship in franchise history, tying the Boston Celtics all-time record that erased a seven-year playoff drought and decade of no championship appearances (longest span in Lakers franchise history).