On Sunday afternoon, LeBron James made his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers public. Prior to reaching this conclusion, the King held private conversations with two of the greatest players to have ever donned a purple and gold uniform: Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

“James talked with Kobe Bryant over the phone and invited Magic Johnson to his house in Brentwood,” Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins writes in his recent article. “Late Saturday night, Johnson walked through the door.”

If there is one person James can relate to, it's Lakers president Magic Johnson. Their personalities, playstyle, and overall level of community involvement are on the same wavelength, so to speak. According to Jenkins, James' agent, Rich Paul, could sense that he was excited at the notion of playing for Johnson and the Lakers.

By chance, James also had quick conversations with two of California's leading Democrats: Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for governor of California, and Maria Shriver, who is currently serving as the state's First Lady.

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“On Sunday morning, James ate breakfast with his wife on the patio at A Votre Sante in Brentwood,” Jenkins reports. “Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for governor of California, stopped at their table and asked where he was headed. James kept quiet. Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, also swung by and delivered her case for the Lakers.”

James, now 33 years of age and entering his 16th season of NBA service, has an opportunity to etch his name alongside some of the greatest Lakers in history (names like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal should ring a proverbial bell). Let's see how the next few chapters of this story play out.

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