Shohei Ohtani is latest athlete with hyped free agency saga - ESPN

Shohei Ohtani's free agency decision was one of the more closely watched in recent sports history.

The Los Angeles Angels' two-way star is coming off a unanimous AL MVP season. Ohtani had 44 home runs and 95 RBIs with a career-high .304 batting average. He also started 23 games on the mound with a 10-5 record and a 3.14 ERA, the second-lowest of his career.

The Ohtani chase ended with the largest contract in MLB history — $700 million over 10 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Acquiring Ohtani to go along with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman elevates them in the conversation for World Series contenders. Ohtani announced his decision on Instagram.

A post shared by Shohei Ohtani | 大谷翔平 (@shoheiohtani)

Here are some of the most hyped free agency sagas since 2000 across MLB, the NBA, the WNBA and the NHL and since 1993 for the NFL (that's when the current form of free agency began).

One of the more influential NBA free agency decisions came in 2010 when James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.

James was coming off his second consecutive MVP season when he averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game. He entertained several teams that included the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, LA Clippers, then-New Jersey Nets plus the Cavaliers and Heat.

It all culminated in a special on ESPN called «The Decision» where James announced he'd be signing with Miami, sending shockwaves through the sports world. By joining the Heat, through a sign-and-trade with the Cavaliers, James arguably began the player empowerment era of the NBA.

A free agent for the first time in his career, the 27-year-old Durant was the jewel of the 2016 class.

He averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and five assists with the Oklahoma City