LeBron James, the non-MVP but consensus best basketball player on the planet, has re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers for three years and $100 million, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. He will be the highest-paid player in the NBA.
LeBron James has agreed to a 3-year, $100 contract with the Cavs, sources told ESPN
LeBron James new 3-year, $100 MILLION deal makes him highest paid player in the league for first time at $31M this season
LeBron's salary in 2017-18 will top $33 million and be the highest single season salary in NBA history.
It's unsurprising that Windhorst, who has covered LeBron since his early high school days in Akron, got this scoop.
After years of taking pay cuts to play on better teams, James finally got his pay day. LeBron, who turns 32 in December, earned $23 million last season.
Though he announced his decision late in the game, there was never much speculation that he'd go anywhere else.
James recorded an announcement video for the @UNINTERRUPTED Twitter page.
BREAKING NEWS: @KingJames announces on UNINTERRUPTED he will sign a new deal with the @Cavs.https://t.co/CXZ5qFK5o6
"My hometown team and I can't be more excited in this opportunity again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title," James said. "We all know last year was magical, inspiring, all the words you can come up with, it was an unbelievable season. I just can't wait to get the group back together, man."
James added a nudge at the end of the video for the organization to get unrestricted free agent J.R. Smith under contract.
James and the Cavaliers beat the record-setting Golden State Warriors, 4-3, in this year's NBA Finals. James was the Finals MVP, and probably should have won it last year, too. In this year's finals, he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game, as well as 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks.
Mike Conley signed the biggest contract in NBA history in July (5 years, $153 million). He'll make an average of $30.6 million per year, or just under what LeBron will make next season.
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