The Croatian basketball player signed a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, while LeBron James earned $3.8 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. Kurir.rs claims Serbian basketball player Vasilije Micić earns more than LeBron.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Croatian basketball player Mario Hezonja to a one-year, $2.8 million contract, just days after LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers over a return to Cleveland, reports Index.hr Sport.
According to Index.hr Sport, ESPN insider Shams Charania previously reported that Hezonja's return to the NBA was on hold because teams interested in James, including Cleveland and the Golden State Warriors, wanted to see his decision before making further moves. With James opting for Philadelphia, the Cavaliers wasted no time and executed one of their backup plans, as Index.hr Sport notes.
LeBron James signed a contract that will earn him $3.8 million over the next season, reports Kurir.rs. According to the Serbian media outlet, it's an unusually low offer given his status, and Philadelphia has assembled a roster around him that, as Kurir.rs states, includes Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, and Embiid.
Regarding Hezonja's arrival in Cleveland, ESPN's official team profile on social media platform X reminded fans of a past moment between the two players. According to Index.hr Sport, in the tense final moments of a 2019 game between the New York Knicks and the L.A. Lakers, with the score at 124-123, Mario Hezonja blocked LeBron James's potential game-winning shot, then gave him a meaningful stare as James lay on the floor. ESPN's post read: "Reminder of the time Mario Hezonja stopped LeBron James in the final seconds."
The post, according to Index.hr Sport, sparked numerous user reactions, many critical of ESPN. One user wrote: "It's sad to see ESPN Cleveland posting this because Bron doesn't want to go to a pathetic franchise. You've really outdone yourselves. When Cleveland radio collapses in the next few years, I'll celebrate downtown."
Another user added: "Now I'm actually glad Bron didn't come back home. You guys are ridiculous," while a third concluded: "Cleveland fans are mad because LeBron wants to win, and he sees that can't happen in Cleveland with James Harden."
Kurir.rs highlights a paradox in its headline, claiming Serbian basketball player Vasilije Micić, a star for Hapoel Tel Aviv, reportedly earns more money than LeBron James, despite the difference in status and popularity between the two players. The source does not specify the exact amount of Micić's salary but mentions it alongside his Hapoel teammates such as Sasha Vezenkov, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Gershon Yabusele, Silvain Francisco, and Kendrick Nunn.
Cleveland and Philadelphia have thus finalized their plans for the new season within just a few days, one with Croatian national team player Mario Hezonja and the other with superstar LeBron James, whose decision to go to Philadelphia, according to both sources, proved crucial for the Cleveland Cavaliers' subsequent moves.
