Hollywood delight as ‘King James’ joins LA Lakers
HOLLYWOOD rolled out the red carpet for LeBron James (pictured) yesterday as the basketball superstar confirmed his blockbuster move to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tinseltown celebrities and Lakers legends expressed delight at news of the deal while NBA rivals digested a move that sent the odds on a Los Angeles revival next season tumbling.
Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was among the first to congratulate James on his four-year, $A208 million deal.
“Welcome to the family @King- James,” Bryant wrote on Twitter. “#lakers4life #striveforgreatness”.
The Lakers have not made the NBA playoffs for five straight years, the longest streak of futility in franchise history. But Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the six-time NBA champion who was part of the Lakers dynasty through the 1980s, expressed hope James’s arrival signaled a change in fortunes.
“I am sure the Lakernation is rejoicing,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote on Twitter. “The acquisition of LeBron James means that the Lakers are just a smidgen away from being real contenders.” That belief appeared to be shared by Las Vegas oddsmakers, who rapidly installed the Lakers as contenders for next season’s NBA crown.
The odds on the Lakers lifting the NBA title in James’ first season fell to 7-2 on the Westgate SuperBook following a flurry of betting, behind only
reigning champion Golden State Warriors.
Rival NBA players appeared to have been shocked by the move. “Damn,” was the one-word verdict of Golden State’s Nick Young.
Entertainment industry luminaries, fellow athletes and public figures were also ecstatic.
“LeBron welcome to Los Angeles,” former action hero and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared on Twitter in a video message. Swedish football superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who joined the Los Angeles Galaxy earlier this year, added: “Now LA has a God and a King! Zlatan welcomes @KingJames.”