One of the NBA's greatest players will leave his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time in eight years. James has appeared in eight consecutive finals and won three.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. S. Sanchez
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Star NBA basketball player LeBron James is set to sign a four-year $154 million (€132 million) contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, his representatives announced in a Tweet on Sunday night.
"LeBron James, four time NBA MVP, three time NBA finals MVP, fourteen time NBA All Star, and two time Olympic gold medalist has agreed to a four year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers," the Tweet by Klutch Sports Group read.
James can ink the contract as early as Friday. He will again be departing the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team, to join one of the NBA's most storied franchises.
The 33-year-old is widely considered one of the greatest players in basketball history, having averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in 1,143 career games.
He spent the first seven years at the Cavaliers after the team picked him with the opening pick of the 2003 draft. He spent four interim years at the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014 before rejoining the Cavs in 2014.
James appeared in eight consecutive NBA finals from 2011 to 2018, winning two titles with the Heat in 2012 and 2013 and one with the Cavaliers in 2016. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert alluded to this title in a statement after James' departure.
"We will always remember the evening of June 19, 2016 as the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, ended the 52-year drought delivering the long elusive championship that many thought they would never see," Gilbert wrote.
Shortly after the contract announcement, James thanked his Cavalier fans on an Instagram post.
"Thank you Northeast Ohio for an incredible 4 seasons," James wrote. "This will always be home."
The best paid sports stars in the world
Cristiano Ronaldo? Lionel Messi? Neymar? No, the best paid athlete in the world is not a footballer, according to US magazine Forbes' latest money rankings. And for the first time, there are no women in the top 100...
Image: Getty Images/G. Shamus
#10: Matthew Stafford
In American football, the top stars still earn a lot of money without even having to win titles. Matthew Stafford could not lead his Detroit Lions into the Super Bowl, but the 30-year-old quarterback brings in a yearly salary of €50.7 million.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/P. Sancya
#9: Matt Ryan
Another quarterback who hasn't made it to the Super Bowl: Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. Having earned €57.4 million last year, he is (at least financially) ahead of Super Bowl winner Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles) and superstar Tom Brady (New England Patriots), who are both outside the top 100 earners.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/dpa/E. Gay
#8: Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry, the man for the special moments. He is known for his accuracy from the three point line or even further. His 'magical throwing hand ' brings him annually €65.6 million — only one basketball player gets more.
Image: Reuters/USA TODAY Sports/K. Terada
#7: Roger Federer
What a comeback for the man from Switzerland. Two grand slam titles, seven tournament victories and a match record comparable with his peak. Roger Federer returned in 2017 in impressive style, and thus earned €65.8 million as he returns to the top ten.
Image: Getty Images/A. Bello
#6: LeBron James
His fans just call him "King James". The undisputed superstar of the NBA has won three championships and clinched four MVP titles. James signed a lifelong advertising contract with Nike in 2015, which contributes a large chunk of his annual income of €72.9 million.
Image: Getty Images/G. Shamus
#5: Neymar
In football terms, he is still in the shadow of Ronaldo and Messi — and financially too. Although his €222 million transfer made him the most expensive player of all time, his annual income is still behind his big rivals at a mere €76.7 million.
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#4: Conor McGregor
Who is Conor McGregor? A mixed martial arts fighter who crossed into boxing for one huge fight against superstar Floyd Mayweather in August 2017. This Irishman predictably lost the fight, but earned €63.9 million in one night, five times the amount of his best-paid MMA fight. He made €84.4 million in the year.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/J. Cortez
#3: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar drops from first place to third in the list, despite increasing his income from €83 to €92.1 million. Not good for his ego. But anyone who knows Ronaldo knows this will only make him more ambitious.
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#2: Lionel Messi
Cynics might say part of the €94.6 million annual income of Lionel Messi belongs to the Spanish taxpayer (allegedly). His Barcelona salary accounts for €71.6 million of the total income, with sponsorship deals — including a huge deal with Adidas — accounting for most of the rest.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/E. Morenatti
#1: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Yes, professional boxers live dangerously and risk a lot for their career. But this sum more than makes up for the pain. Floyd Mayweather Jr. took home a staggering €242.9 million in 2017. That is €4,670,000 per week, or in other words, an hourly wage of €27,728!
Image: Reuters/S. Marcus
...and the best German
That would be Sebastian Vettel. However, the four-times Formula One world champion slipped from rank 14 to 18, despite increasing his income by €2 million to €36 million per year. His rival Lewis Hamilton (43.5 million euro) is ranked 12th. Vettel is the only German athlete in Forbes' top 100 ranking.
Image: Getty Images/M. Thompson
No women in the top 100
Equal pay for men and women? Definitely not in professional sports. Not a single woman finds herself in the Forbes list of the 100 best paid athletes. Serena Williams slips out of the rankings after taking last year off to have a baby, having been at number 51 the year before. Her annual salary of €15.7 million is nice comfort, but also a sad reflection on the world of sport.
