LeBron James made the surprising decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option instead of signing a new max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

F or the past seven years, the interests of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers broadly aligned. James rescued the Lakers from their post-Kobe Bryant odyssey. Even as he aged,

The idea of LeBron James finishing his career anywhere other than Los Angeles seemed very likely a couple of months