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          LeBron James inks deal with Lakers

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          With LeBron officially signed, what else can Lakers do? (0:45)

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          • ESPN
          Jul 10, 2018, 12:34 AM

          LeBron James has signed his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

          After leaving the Cavaliers franchise as its leader in nearly every major statistical category and giving sports-obsessed Cleveland its first championship in 52 years in 2016, James officially said goodbye to the Cavaliers for the second time in his career on Monday, when he inked the four-year deal with the Lakers that will pay him $153.3 million.

          James' representatives at Klutch Sports Group tweeted a picture of James signing his new contract with the Lakers, alongside his agent, Rich Paul, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.

          James has played in the past eight NBA Finals with the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers, winning three titles.

          Magic Johnson, the Lakers' president of basketball operations, said in a release that James "is special" and "is the best player in the world."

          "He loves to compete and is an awesome leader who is about winning and making sure that his teammates are successful," the statement continued. "The Lakers players are excited to have a teammate who has been to nine NBA Finals. It's a huge step closer to returning the Lakers to the playoffs and to the NBA Finals."