Big impact, soft touch in LeBron’s L.A. reveal
Announcement came via tweet from agency
LOS ANGELES – He could’ve built a Hollywood-style sign that spelled out LEBRON, or LABron, and flipped the switch Sunday night.
He could have gathered with the Laker girls and Magic Johnson outside his $23 million mansion in Brentwood.
Or, he could have held a news conference with Jack Nicholson, worn a pair of those Jack Nicholson sunglasses and a Jack Nicholson, you-know-what-eating grin.
Instead, LeBron James got the announcement of his joining the Lakers just right. Which is to say understated, with the tact befitting the mature, 33-year-old superstar he has become.
The announcement came by way of news release — a little old fashioned and with the modern twist — posted at 5:05 p.m. on the Twitter account of his agency, Klutch Sports Group. (Oh, that’s 5:05 p.m. Pacific Time, of course, and NBA fans might as well adjust their clocks.)
Ah, what a relief. No Jim Gray. No letter in “Sports Illustrated.” No dog-and-pony show.
How Klutch was that? Especially considering the past.
In 2010, when James left the Cavaliers for the Heat, he regrettably participated in “The Decision,” an hour-long TV special hosted by sportscaster Gray. Infamously, James announced, “In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.”
In 2014, James announced his decision to return to Cleveland by way of a letter — poignant or effected, depending on your perspective — published by “Sports Illustrated.”
This time, James got it right, because he did it with this:
For Immediate Release LeBron James, four time NBA MVP, three time NBA finals MVP, fourteen time NBA All Star, and two time Olympic gold medalist has agreed to a four year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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OK, so not exactly free of modesty. And James certainly asserted his absolute control, killing off media competition for the “scoop.”
But considering this arguably is the most historic free agent move in NBA history, and in a town that loves its glitz, glamour and showtime like no other, James made a statement by issuing a statement that felt more like a layup than an attention-seeking slam-dunk.