Ronaldo to Juventus, LeBron to Miami and 10 player moves that shook the world

It was proved on August 9, 1988, that any player can be traded, even the greatest of his or her sport. On this date, The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, was traded as part of a mega multi-player deal from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. Only 27 years old at the time of the trade, and still very much in the prime of his illustrious career, Gretzky proved to be too costly for the small-market Oilers to keep, and this deal -- which landed Edmonton $15 million in cash as part of the return for Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski -- was actually consummated between owners Peter Pocklington (Oilers) and Bruce McNall (Kings), not the general managers. Gretzky's arrival in Los Angeles put the West Coast of the United States on the map as a prime NHL destination and set the stage for further expansion to Anaheim and San Jose, even though the Kings never did win a Stanley Cup with Gretzky on the team. The Oilers, meanwhile, completed their dynasty with another Cup victory in 1990 before the dismantling of the great championship squad was completed in the early '90s.

The best player in the world moving to Napoli from Barcelona for a record transfer fee was just as shocking in 1984 when Maradona did it as it would be today if Lionel Messi decided to make a similar move. The fee of £6.9 million (($10.5m) seems like pennies in today's market, but after two injury-hit seasons with the Catalan club, in which the volatile Argentine had numerous spats with management, the Italian club decided he was well worth the risk. Over the course of his seven Serie A seasons Maradona netted 81 times in the league and helped the club to two league titles, a Coppa Italia, a Supercoppa Italiana and the UEFA Cup. 

Manning’s career appeared to be nearing an end when he missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing neck surgery, and the Colts released him in 2012 to clear the way for No. 1 pick Andrew Luck. Manning, however, signed with the Broncos. It became clear once again that Manning, and not the Colts, would be the chief competition for the New England Patriots in the AFC. Manning set single-season records in yards (5,477) and TDs (55) while leading Denver to an appearance in Super Bowl 48, and two years later he led the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50. Manning retired in 2016 after 18 seasons.

French club PSG wanted to make a statement to the world that they were a factor at the top level, and the €222 million (£201m/$260m) signing of Barcelona superstar Neymar was just the ticket. The Brazilian had worked his way into being considered one of the best players on the planet while with the Spanish side, despite playing second fiddle to Lionel Messi. PSG offered him the chance to be the main man and their payout to buy his services was stunning, having more than doubled the previous record amount spent by Manchester United to sign Paul Pogba in 2016. His first season in Paris saw Neymar net 19 goals in 20 matches, though an injury put an early end to his campaign and the French side fell short in the Champions League. 

Abdul-Jabbar won three MVP awards and a NBA championship in his first six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, but the game’s most dominant player requested to be traded to a larger market. Like Wilt Chamberlain before him, Abdul-Jabbar landed in Los Angeles, where he won three more MVP awards and invigorated his career with the arrival of Magic Johnson. The Lakers would win five NBA championships as part of the “Showtime” era, and Abdul-Jabbar was the unstoppable force unleashing the “sky hook” the entire time. This move would continue a recurring theme in which the Lakers pull their franchise up by grabbing the game’s biggest star.

Beckham's move to Major League Soccer made him the first true world superstar to make the jump to MLS, and the move paid off for the club, the player and the league on and off the field. Beckham was part of MLS Cup-winning sides in 2011 and 2012, while the league has followed the Beckham signing by landing a number of global stars. Beckham is now part of an MLS ownership group that was officially awarded an expansion team earlier this year, so the payoff on the move is far from over

July 1, 2010 will forever be remembered for “The Decision.” James, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, announced on a nationally televised interview with Jim Gray that he would “take my talents to South Beach.” Cavs fans burned LeBron’s jersey and owner Dan Gilbert ripped that decision with a letter written in Comic Sans font. James, meanwhile, joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and led Miami to four NBA Finals appearances and two championships. That ushered in the “Super Team” era, which has been the dominant theme of the decade in the NBA.

Ruth was one of the best two-way players in baseball with the Boston Red Sox and hit a record 29 home runs in 1919. Boston owner Harry Frazee inexplicably sold Ruth to the Yankees after that season, and the “Curse of The Bambino” was born. Ruth hit 54 homers with 135 RBIs in his first season with New York, which pulled baseball away from the Black Sox scandal in the 1919 World Series. Ruth would win four World Series with the Yankees and retire as the most iconic baseball player of all time. Boston waited until 2004 to win its next World Series. 

Following his third Champions League title in row, and his fourth in five years, Ronaldo hinted at a move away from Real Madrid, but it was still a shock on July 10 when Madrid announced that their star man would be moving to Juventus. The Italian club built a deal that will cost €100m (£88m/$117m) plus €12m (£10.5m/$14m) in additional charges, a king's ransom for 33-year-old, but the Serie A giants feel the price is well worth it to land one the top players of all time.