Every 30 years, it seems, the summer skies over Los Angeles open up and drop a transcendent, game-changing athlete into our midst.
Wayne Gretzky arrived in August 1988, traded to the Kings from the Edmonton Oilers in a deal that initially shocked the hockey world and eventually reshaped it. “The Great One” was in his prime, 27 years old, with four Stanley Cup championships, eight most-valuable-player awards and 49 NHL scoring records to his credit.
LeBron James, who became a free agent a few weeks after his eighth consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals, on Sunday agreed to a four-year, $154-million contract with the Lakers.