The previous owner is soap opera royalty -- Lee Phillip Bell -- who co-created two of the most iconic soaps in history ... "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "The Young & The Restless."

Bell passed away earlier this year at the age of 91 and her estate put the 2.5-acre property up on the market to see if any rich people wanted it, asking $39 mil. The listing was held by Richard Hilton and Jeff Hyland of Hilton & Hyland.

Well, LeBron -- who already owns 2 massive properties in Brentwood -- swooped in and made the deal for a cool $36.75 mil, which closed on Wednesday according to The Real Deal.

Fun fact -- LeBron made roughly $37 million this season just from his NBA contract with the Los Angeles Lakers alone.

So, yeah ... he can afford it.

The place is insane ... the main home is 9,100 square feet. The property also comes with 2 guest homes.

It's got a screening room (LeBron's got a big movie deal with Warner Bros.) along with a swimming pool, tennis court, motor court, fountains and one of the sickest views in the entire city.

LeBron won't be able to move in just yet ... since he's still in the NBA bubble in Orlando to play the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

And, yeah, the house has plenty of space for a championship trophy ...

Congrats!