In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals by coming back from a 3–1 deficit, delivering the franchise's first championship and ending the 52-year Cleveland sports curse. In 2018, James exercised his contract option to leave the Cavaliers and signed with the Lakers, where he won the 2020 NBA championship and was awarded his fourth Finals MVP. In 2021, James became the first player in NBA history to accumulate $1 billion in earnings as an active player.[2]