By Frank Pingue
July 24 (Reuters) - LeBron James has decided to join the Philadelphia 76ers for the final chapter of his NBA career, he said on Friday, forgoing bigger paydays for one more shot at a championship with a franchise that has not won a title in 43 years.
The league's all-time leading scorer, who had the basketball world on tenterhooks for weeks awaiting his decision on what team he would join for his record-extending 24th NBA season, delivered the news in a series of social media posts.
"This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship," James wrote.
"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time."
James did not disclose terms of the deal but ESPN reported that the four-time champion signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option. That marks a significant pay cut for one more title run considering he made over $50 million with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
James spent the last eight seasons of his glittering career with the Lakers, leading them to a title in 2020 after two separate stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and four years with the Miami Heat.
In Philadelphia, the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player will join forces with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and recently acquired Jaylen Brown on a 76ers team that moved from 20-1 odds to win the NBA title to 10-1 after his announcement.
The Sixers made the 2026 NBA playoffs by securing the Eastern Conference's seventh seed through a play-in tournament before falling to the eventual champion New York Knicks in the second round.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a self-proclaimed die-hard Sixers fan, rolled out the red carpet for James with an official proclamation posted on social media that declared July 24, 2026 as "LeBron James Day".
JAMES CONSIDERED RETIRING AFTER 2026 PLAYOFF EXIT
A number of teams had been pursuing James, with Cleveland, Miami, the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves all believed to have been interested in the high-profile free agent.
The wait for James' decision had been holding up the completion of the 2026-27 regular season schedule, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver publicly called out the face of the league last week during an appearance at a fan event in New York where he urged the player to make a decision.
The 41-year-old James, who last March surpassed Robert Parish's record for most career regular-season games played, has continued to perform at an elite level despite his age.
He earned a league-record 22nd consecutive All-Star selection last February during a season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists over 60 games. His season ended when the Lakers were swept from the second round of the playoffs in May and he initially thought about retiring.
"I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give," James said.
"The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out."
In a testament to his durability, James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in a regular-season NBA game in October 2024, fulfilling what he had long said was one of his remaining basketball goals.
LONGEST NBA CAREER
James, a four-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, joined the Lakers in 2018. He set the league record for the longest career in NBA history last year when he surpassed Vince Carter's mark of 22 seasons.
He was selected with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by his hometown Cavaliers, where he spent seven seasons before announcing during a live TV special titled "The Decision" that he was leaving for Miami.
The announcement damaged James' public image and led to many people burning his replica No. 23 jerseys on Cleveland's streets that night.
In Miami, James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to create an instant powerhouse that won two NBA titles during their four seasons together in South Beach.
James returned to Cleveland and in 2016 rallied the team from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals to stun the Golden State Warriors and make good on his promise to deliver the Cavaliers their first championship.
Two years later, James again left his hometown team, where he remains the franchise leader in nearly every major statistical category, to join the Lakers, where for the first time he played in the NBA's Western Conference.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Toby Davis and Ed Osmond)
