LeBron James Celebrates the Browns Trading for Deshaun Watson on Twitter

Editor’s note: This story contains accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org. 

After reports emerged Friday that revealed Deshaun Watson would waive his no-trade clause with the Texans and agree to a historic new deal with the Browns, Akron’s own LeBron James was ecstatic to hear the news. 

The Lakers star, who still has a soft spot in his heart for the NFL franchise in Cleveland, took to Twitter to celebrate the Browns landing the three-time Pro Bowler. 

James’s NFL allegiances often seem torn between the Browns, the Cowboys and his latest local team (and newest Super Bowl champions), the Rams. However, he’s always made his support known for Cleveland considering he grew up less than an hour away from the city and that’s where he began his NBA career way back in 2003. 

Although James was outwardly excited that the Browns acquired Watson, the trade for the 26-year-old quarterback was met with widespread backlash on Friday. Although he will not face criminal charges, Watson still faces 22 active civil lawsuits that allege sexual harassment and assault. The graphic accounts from women range from Watson allegedly refusing to cover his genitals to forcing women to put his penis in their mouths.

A grand jury recently returned nine “no” bills on nine criminal complaints against the 26-year-old, and the prosecutor said this concluded the criminal proceedings against him in Harris County. However, Watson has not taken a snap since January 2021 and could still face possible disciplinary action from the league this upcoming season. A full timeline of the allegations against Watson and how the legal situation has played out over the last year is available here.

Despite the ongoing legal proceedings and outstanding allegations, the Browns chose to give Watson a five-year, $230 million deal, all of which is guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it sets a new record for the highest guaranteed contract in the league. The contract has also been designed to protect against lost money from a potential suspension, as his base salary is just $1 million, per reports. Each game that Watson misses from a potential suspension would cost him $55,556, a source told SI‘s Albert Breer, instead of the much more significant number if his contract was laid out in a more traditional way.

Cleveland posted a disappointing 8–9 record in 2021, just a season after the franchise won its first playoff game in over two decades in 2020.