LeBron James is headed to the Lakers. It’s official. And that’s sent the meme and joke writers into overdrive. Here are some of the best memes, jokes, and GIFs about LeBron’s big move to Los Angeles. Many of them deal with Kobe Bryant.
LeBron is always a popular meme subject. The memes flew when he expressed exasperation on the court at teammate J.R. Smith during the playoffs when Smith appeared to forget the score. They’re flying again with the news that James is headed to LA.
Many fans said they might turn into Lakers fans. Or find a way to like LeBron James and not become Lakers fans.
Here’s what you need to know:
LeBron’s Deal Is Worth $154 Million
LeBron James is already a very wealthy man (his net worth already exceeds $275 million).
As one of the best players to ever play the game, that’s not surprising nor is it unexpected. However, his new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers will put more gold in his coffers.
According to Yahoo Sports, the deal is worth $154 million over four years.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Lakers were in a strong position to obtain James because they had room in their cap, giving them almost $50 million available to play ball. James announced the big deal through Klutch Sports, which is his agency.
You can see the tweet from Klutch Sports making the big announcement here.
This is LeBron’s Longest Deal Since 2010
Expect LeBron to stick around longer here. According to ESPN, the contract locks him in for more years than any of his contracts has since 2010.
That year, he signed on with the Heat for a term of six years, ESPN reports, adding that it’s not the first time during his storied career that James has been a free agent. It’s still a rare opportunity for a team to get a shot at him, though.
LeBron James is 33-years-old. He’s played in the NBA for 15 seasons.
LeBron Is One of the League’s Highest Scoring Players
LeBron scored an average of 27.5 points per game last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“He also set career-highs in rebounds (9.1 per game), assists (8.6 per game) and appearances (82 games),” NBA.com reports.
The Lakers haven’t made the playoffs in the past five years, NBA.com reports, so LeBron joins a youthful team that could use his dominance on a team that has seen many star players over the years.
The Lakers haven’t won a championship since 2010. In case you’re counting, Sports Illustrated reports that James has won three and Kobe has won five. All of Bryant’s championships were with the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant Tweeted, ‘I LOVE IT’
ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne obtained Kobe Bryant’s reaction: “Kobe Bryant will have a lot to say about LeBron in due time. For now, he says in all caps, ‘I LOVE IT.'”
Bryant then wrote on Twitter, “Welcome to the family @KingJames #lakers4life #striveforgreatness @JeanieBuss @MagicJohnson and RP well done!!! ??”
Kobe has courted controversy when he’s been perceived as having slighted James in comments in the past (such as saying he needed to figure out how to win championships), so his reaction was closely watched.
Sports Illustrated notes that Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were teammates on two USA Olympic teams in the past.
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