? James leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers after seven years
? Owner accuses James of 'shameful display of selfishness'
LeBron James has announced that he will sign for the Miami Heat. Bringing an end to weeks of speculation, James made the announcement live in an hour-long TV special, revealing that "this fall I am going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat". The deal is expected to make James, 25, one of the richest sportsmen in the world and could earn him over $100m in salary alone.
James, who plays as a small forward, was a free agent after spending seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown club. As one of the biggest names in basketball, he received offers from several clubs, including the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls. However, he opted to sign for the team he believed will give him "the best opportunity to win and to win now and to win in the future. Winning is a huge thing for me".
He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003-04 and NBA Most Valuable Player in both 2008-09 and 2009-10. In 2007 he took Cleveland to the NBA Finals, where they were beaten by 4-0 by the San Antonio Spurs. However, he never managed to lead the Cavaliers to an NBA title, and he cited his belief that Miami have "a great chance of winning and winning for multiple years" as his primary reason for joining them. He will join up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who committed to the Heat on Wednesday, and together, James predicted, they will make a "real good team".
Speculation concerning the destination of 'King James', as he has been nicknamed, has dominated the media coverage in the US over recent weeks. It reached such a fever pitch that it even impacted on the options market, with interest exploding in Madison Square Garden options earlier in the day as speculation linked James with the New York Knicks, owned by MSG. President Barack Obama, a Chicago Bulls fan, joined the debate by suggesting James "would fit in pretty well" at the Bulls. However, the hype and publicity surrounding his announcement turned the move into a drawn-out saga, and many will be relieved that the 'The Summer of LeBron' is finally over.
A number of other deals have been announced today - deadline day for free agents - including four-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson signing a six-year, $123.7m deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Two-time All-Star forward Carlos Boozer joined Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal with Utah Jazz for a reported $75m over five years. Jazz spokesman Jonathan Rinehart said Utah sent him along with a future protected second-round pick to the Bulls for a trade exception. In a busy day for the Bulls, they received the rights to the Washington Wizards' Belarusian Vladimir Veremeenko in exchange for guard Kirk Hinrich and the draft rights of first-round pick Kevin Seraphin.
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