There is no doubt that one of the best players the Los Angeles Lakers have given the world in the last years is LeBron James. Not only is he one of the best basketball players in the world, but, with his age, the 35 year old player is considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. He has been compared to Michael Jordan, achieving many accomplishments such as three NBA championships and has been heavily endorsed by the media, making appearances in books, documentaries and television shows and commercials, without mentioning he will be the actor for the second part of Space Jam. American’s have even ranked him as one of the most influential and popular athletes.
On July 1st 2018, it was announced that after giving up his contract with the Cavaliers, he would be joining the Lakers and the deal was officially completed on July 9th of the same year.
Los Angeles Lakers: a great competitor team in the NBA
Los Angeles Lakers, as the name says it, are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, and are part of the National Basketball Association, best known as the NBA. They usually play their home games at Staples Center and are one of the most successful and popular basketball teams in the US. They hold the record of the longest winning streak. This is because they won 33 straight games during the years of 1971-1972. Their ratings have been incredibly high for years. Indeed, thanks to all these exploits, basketball fans no longer hesitate to place bets on this team. Sport sites specialists like Legalbetting.com show relevant information regarding the NBA and permits fans to place their bets at the right time to increase the interest of the game. This year, the Lakers are on the top to bring the competition at home again.
LeBron James: the Showman of Los Angeles…
LeBron James signed a four-year contract with the Lakers for the grand sum of $153.3 million dollars, a huge amount if you think about it. From 2010 to 2019, James participated in eight NBA championships. Back in 2005, he was selected for the NBA All-Star Game and earned a spot in the annual showcase for 15 straight seasons. Then in 2006 the incredible James was awarded the Most Valuable Player award in the NBA all-star game. He also won in 2008 and 2018. When he was 33 years old, back in 2018, he became the youngest seventh player in the history of the NBA to accumulate 30,000 career points.
…And an Olympics winner
LeBron was also a big part of the Summer Olympic games on three occasions in 2004, 2008 and 2012. His debut was in Athens, Greece in 2004 and he won bronze medals as well as his teammates. Then, in 2008, he participated in the Beijing Olympics and he and the rest of the US team brought the gold home and defeated Spain in the final round. And finally his third Olympic games were held in London back in 2012 and with the rest of the team he also went home with another gold medal.
James is a very well known and important figure in the sports industry. Another interesting fact of his is that he signed a contract with Nike for $90 million dollars, one of the biggest commercial contracts ever signed by an athlete. But outside the NBA James has done incredible efforts to help others. He established LeBron James Family Foundation in 2004 to help families in need, specifically those of single parents. He is not shy to express his opinions in social media and has become very popular because of this. He is hands down not only one of the most influential athletes but one of the most influential people especially for the younger generations who look up to him because of his achievements and accomplishments as an African-American. He has shown the world that with courage and determination, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
