6 memorable NBA free agent moves of the last 20 years
LeBron James restored faith in Cleveland and shifted the balance of power by committing to a Cavaliers homecoming on Friday, marking one of the true feel-good stories in NBA history.
With James' 2014 decision now in the books, here are six other significant free agent moves from the last 20 years.
1996 - Shaquille O'Neal moves from Magic to Lakers
In his first four seasons as a pro, O'Neal averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.4 assists for the Magic, en route to four All-Star appearances, three All-NBA nods, a Rookie of the Year award and a 1995 Finals appearance in only his second season. But as a free agent for the first time in the summer of 1996, Shaq signed a seven-year, $121 million contract with the Lakers, joining the just-drafted Kobe Bryant in L.A.
In the eight seasons O'Neal spent there, the Lakers won three championships, made four Finals appearances and compiled a 435-189 regular season record - good for a winning percentage of .697. Shaq took home an MVP award and three Finals MVP nods during those eight seasons.
2000 - Tracy McGrady moves from Raptors to Magic
Following three promising seasons in Toronto after being selected by the Raptors out of high school, McGrady left Vince Carter's team behind to join Grant Hill with the Magic. In their first season in Orlando, however, Hill played in just four games due to injury, and T-Mac became the face of the franchise. McGrady averaged 26.8 points in over 40 minutes per game after never having averaged more than 15.4 points or 31 minutes in Toronto, taking home the league's Most Improved Player award in the process.
In four seasons with the Magic, McGrady won two scoring titles, made four All-Star games and was named to four All-NBA teams, leaving many to wonder what might have been had he and Carter remained together North of the border.
2004 - Steve Nash moves from Mavericks to Suns
Okay, so the video is from Nash's return to Phoenix as a member of the Lakers, but you get the point.
After being drafted by the Suns in 1996 and playing his first two seasons in Phoenix, Nash was traded to the Mavericks in the summer of 1998. Six years later, the All-Star point guard left Dallas for Phoenix as a free agent and became an MVP point guard.
The Suns went from a 29-win team in 2003-04 to a 62-win team in 2004-05, a single season turnaround that still ranks among the four greatest in NBA history, and Nash won the first of his two consecutive Most Valuable Player awards.
2010 - Chris Bosh moves from Raptors to Heat
We'll get to the Heat's bigger 2010 acquisition in a moment, but before James made his much ballyhooed televised decision that night, Bosh had joined Dwyane Wade on air earlier in the day to announce that he would be "joining Mr. Wade in Miami."
It quickly got overshadowed in the wake of LeBron's decision and the formation of The Big Three as a whole, but Bosh was already a five-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA player coming off of a 24-point, 10.8-rebound, 2.4-assist, 1-block, 25-PER season in Toronto.
The Heat don't win two titles or make four straight Finals appearances without him.
2010 - LeBron James moves from Cavaliers to Heat
James was the two-time reigning MVP coming off of two of the greatest individual seasons the NBA had ever seen, and he was deciding to take his talents from the virtually hometown Cavaliers to South Beach to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
James' 2014 decision to go back home is the better story, but his original 2010 decision likely goes down as the biggest moment in the history of NBA free agency.
2013 - Dwight Howard moves from Lakers to Rockets
The Lakers had become synonymous with landing legendary big men on the trade and free agent markets, and acquiring Howard from the Magic a year earlier was no different. But after one disappointing season in L.A. with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, Howard did what was previously unthinkable, making the Lakers the spurned team for once.
The Rockets lost to the Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, but in Howard's debut season in Houston alongside James Harden, he averaged 18.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks for a 54-win team, earning himself another All-Star appearance and All-NBA nod.