CAMDEN, N.J. -- Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James is set to enter his 24th season in the league in what has ben a brilliant career. He has done literally every possible thing a player could do in his NBA career across his 23 seasons whether it's winning an MVP award, winning championships, All-Star appearances, and breaking records.
So, one has to wonder about James' future after he signed a 2-year $8 million deal with the Sixers in the 2026 offseason. He is still at the top of his game as he still averaged 20.9 points in his 23rd season in the league, but he turns 42 in December. How much does James still have in the tank?
"Obviously, I'm just looking at it every single day on how I can be the best version of myself for this franchise while
I'm here," James stated. "I don't want to speak into the future right now. I think that would be doing a disservice to myself on just living in the moment, especially knowing that I am where I am in my career. So me trying to focus on what the future looks like would be like, I wouldn't be giving myself grace. I'm more in the present now, understanding that, shit, I'm in year 24. It won't be another year, plus 24 (more). So, I just like being in the moment and we'll see what happens."
James is joining a Sixers team that will also feature Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe. This is a team that, obviously, has championship expectations and the focus has to be on making sure everybody is on the same page. Throughout his 23 seasons in the league, James has played with some elite players such as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis, and others. He knows how to build chemistry through the inevitable struggles.
"I think the best way to expedite it is obviously the floor of the practice court," James began. "That helps. The film sessions help. The bus rides, the plane rides, the camaraderie, those things help. It's going to take time. It's going to take time. I think people, sometimes they don't really want to work, and everyone wants instant oatmeal. You just put the oatmeal in the bowl, you put some water in it, and then throw it in the microwave, and in a minute and a half, you got something, you're ready to go. If you want to do something special, it takes time and it takes every single day doing things that you may not want to do because it's like the same thing over and over and over and over and over, repetition after repetition after repetition. In order for us to be great, we have to do things that are just not comfortable."
The focus for the Sixers has to be working hard every single day and continuing to push forward. If this team is going to be successful, there isn't much to do other than putting their collective heads down and moving forward. James knows that for this group to win and have the success they're looking for, it's going to take a tremendous amount of hard work and patience to get it done.
"We have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable," he finished. "That is the best way to expedite being great. You have to fall in love with doing things that are uncomfortable. And if we can do that, then we can be a great team. If we don't do that, then we’ll be like, ‘Oh man, that was a great team on paper, and we had a lot of great talent, and we lost in the second round.’ I don't want to do that. I didn’t leave my family (in Los Angeles) to lose in the second round. I know that for sure. So work needs to be done and I'm ready to put the work in."
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers star LeBron James talks future, how group can build chemistry
