LeBron James confirmed on Thursday he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat next season.
The 25-year-old James ended months of speculation about his future with an announcement broadcast live on U.S. national television.
Nicknamed "King James", the small forward was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school. At 18, he was selected with the number one pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers and signed a $90 million shoe contract with Nike before his professional debut.
James was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003–04, NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008–09 and 2009–10, and has been both All-NBA and an All-Star every season since 2005. Many consider him the best player in the game, along with the LA Laker's Kobe Bryant.
Despite his ability, the Cavaliers have not won an NBA championship with James. The Cavs made the playoffs the last three seasons but failed to get into the NBA finals each time. They finished the 2009-2010 regular season with the best record in the NBA, but lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.