Lebron James announced that he would sign the new extension contract deal on Bleacher Report’s video sharing platform Uninterrupted on Thursday.
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Nothing is official as the three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player is not expected to sign the new deal until next week, when he returns to Cleveland for a charity event, ESPN said.
James will make $31 million next season and $33 million in 2017-18, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday.
James, who signed a pair of one-year deals with Cavaliers over the past few years, also explained why he made a decision to pen a long-term contract with his hometown team. After considering his many options and history with the team, he chose to opt for a longer deal with the Cavs this summer.
“We all know a year ago (was) magical, inspiring, all the words you can come up with”.
James, who has spent most of his time since winning his third title in Los Angeles, posted a photo of him signing the deal on his Instagram account with the caption “Committed!”
James was a free agent, though he previously assured the Cavaliers that he would return. And the fans. without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did this past season. I can’t wait to get back out there in the wine and gold and just get the band back together. He won it back-to-back with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 the most recent one was last June with the Cavs against the 73-9 regular season record-holder Golden State Warriors squad, who were then the defending titlists.
Appearing in his sixth straight finals last season, he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 2.3 blocks, becoming the first player to lead a series in every major statistical category.
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The 31-year-old James, who is entering his 14th season in the National Basketball Association, will be the highest-paid player in the league for the first time in his career as he earns $31 million during the first year of his contract.
