Lakers' LeBron James Salutes 'Legend' Bill Belichick After Split with Patriots

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James saluted Bill Belichick after news broke that the longtime NFL head coach and the New England Patriots mutually agreed to part ways after 24 seasons.

The 71-year-old Belichick certainly deserved the "legend" moniker that James used. He has won eight Super Bowls—two as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator and six more with the Pats.

His 302 lifetime victories as an NFL head coach (266 with New England, 36 more with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-1995) also rank him third all-time behind only Don Shula and George Halas.

Belichick's Patriots also won nine AFC titles. His best team—the 2007 Patriots—didn't even win the Super Bowl. That squad went 18-0 (including the postseason) before falling to the Giants.

Elsewhere, the Pats also won 16 of 17 AFC East titles from 2003-2019.

The lone exception was the 2008 season, when the Pats (who were without Tom Brady for nearly the entire season due to a Week 1 knee injury) finished tied with the Miami Dolphins at 11-5 but lost on the tiebreaker.

Under Belichick, the Pats also went 266-121 in the regular season and 30-12 in the playoffs.

Needless to say, Belichick is the most accomplished head coach in NFL history. No coach (or player) has more Super Bowl rings than Belichick with his eight.

However, his legacy isn't over yet. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, it appears Belichick wants to keep coaching elsewhere.

That means Belichick could possibly leave the game for good with the all-time wins record too. As of now, Shula is ahead by 14 (including the playoffs).

We'll see if Belichick lands elsewhere soon enough. Seven other teams outside the Pats have vacancies, so there's sure to be some interest in his services.