LeBron James accepts the Best Male Athlete award onstage during the 2016 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 13, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin Winter)
The NBA just lit up with the recent news that LeBron James has finally decided to sign his contract.
Finally, justice has been served in the NBA as the best player is now also the highest-paid. Brian Windhorst of ESPN has reported the particular terms of the deal.
The initial salary when the deal takes effect in the 2016-17 season is pegged at $31 million, officially making James the highest-paid player in the NBA, surprisingly, for the first time in his career. The salary for next season jumps beyond $33 million. That number gains significance because that makes him pass Michael Jordan, at least in terms of highest salary in a season. Michael Jordan earned $33 million with the Chicago Bulls in the 1997-98 season, the last of their six championships.
In his statement to The Undefeated as transcribed by ESPN, James said all the right things, calling Cleveland his hometown, stating his excitement at defending the crown and calling it "an unbelievable season."
"I just can't wait to get the group back together -- the team, the franchise, more importantly, get everybody together, the fans. Without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did this past season. I'm ecstatic," James said.
One interesting part of his statement is that he clearly called out to get JR Smith back. Smith is not just a teammate, he's also a client of LeBron James' sports agency.
There was some speculation on whether James would step in with the contract negotiations for Smith, and with this statement, the speculation is confirmed. The Cavs is LeBron James' team, on the court and off.
James expectedly took the maximum amount and there will be no debate on whether he deserves it. The Cavs are capped out and there is no way they can improve, so the Cavs' roster is stuck, barring trades.
The interesting aspect is the length of the contract. Pundits were expecting that LeBron James would continue to sign one-and-one deals. That was only beneficial because there was a drastic increase in the cap. But the point is not about money. James is now committed to the franchise for at least two years (the third year is a player option). That's a sigh of relief for the franchise, not to mention the city.
Will the Cavs win another title in James' next tenure? With the Warriors' presumed dominance, that may be James' admission that he has conceded to the Warriors for the next two years, considering their roster will remain static.
Pundits believe that the Cavs should make a counter-move, like the DeMarcus Cousins - Kevin Love trade in order to beat the Warriors. James may not be keen on that, but that's purely speculative. No one would know the King's mindset at this time-except himself.
