LeBron James says he will play for Philadelphia 76ers

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LeBron James announced on Friday he will play for the Philadelphia 76ers next season, with the 41-year-old NBA superstar hoping to transform another franchise into a championship team.

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James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, has won four titles in a 23-year career, most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers, who he said earlier this month he would not return to for the 2026-27 campaign.

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James led the Miami Heat to NBA crowns in 2013 and 2014, brought his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers a title in 2016 and delivered a championship for the Lakers in 2020.

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He’s looking to make the same magic happen in what Rich Paul, James’s agent, tells ESPN will be a two-year deal worth $8 million.

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“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 posted on X.

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The NBA legend was considering several clubs but will join a 76ers team that traded for forward Jaylen Brown from Boston and boasts a lineup that will also include star center Joel Embiid and guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

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James averaged 20.9 points a game for the Lakers last season and said he was considering retirement strongly when the campaign concluded.

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“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,” James posted on X.

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“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.”

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Paul played up the potential clubs James could join during more than three weeks of mystery about where he might sign.

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Would James return home to Cleveland, return to Miami, possibly join pals Stephen Curry and Draymond Green at Golden State? Would he find another contender to boost?

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“This is my last decision,” James posted. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family.

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“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.”

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James did send his regrets to some of his other suitors, posting: “Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always be home!”

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