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Philadelphia has landed the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. LeBron James, 41, confirmed on Friday that he is signing with the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option for the second season. The deal marks a huge drop from the $50.7 million he earned with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, but James made it clear the move wasn’t driven by money.
The signing brings his eight-year spell with the Lakers to an end. James informed the franchise on June 30, just hours before free agency opened, that he planned to explore other opportunities. Cleveland, Golden State, Minnesota and Miami were all linked with the four-time NBA champion before he chose Philadelphia.
James announced the decision himself on X, describing it as the final chapter of his career.
“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. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energise a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
He also paid tribute to the cities that shaped his career.
“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always [be] home!”
The announcement ends weeks of speculation that followed James’ admission after last season that he had seriously considered retirement.
“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.”
If Philadelphia wins the NBA title, James would become the first player in league history to win championships with four different franchises. That possibility has sparked fresh optimism in Philadelphia, where the 76ers have gone 43 years without a title. James previously ended Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought with the Cavaliers’ historic 2016 victory.
The veteran forward also joins a team with familiar faces. Guard Tyrese Maxey has trained with James during the offseason, while All-Star centre Joel Embiid was his teammate on the United States squad that won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024. James also shares a long-standing connection with new 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who finished runner-up to him in Ohio’s Mr Basketball race during their high school days.
ESPN reported that James’ agent, Rich Paul, said his client was seeking “basketball happiness” in free agency. The Sixers built their recruitment around that idea, reportedly enlisting Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers, who appeared on Paul’s Game Over podcast, to help make their pitch.
There was one unexpected twist before the announcement. Reuters reported that the Miami Heat accidentally published, then quickly deleted, an introductory press conference video after staff mistakenly prepared for the possibility that James would return to South Florida, where he won two of his four NBA championships between 2010 and 2014.
James also captured titles with Cleveland in 2016 and the Lakers in 2020. Drafted first overall by the Cavaliers in 2003, the Akron native has won four MVP awards and earned 22 consecutive All-Star selections.
Philadelphia has already been aggressive in strengthening its roster. Before landing James, the Sixers acquired former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade that sent Paul George and draft picks to Boston. The team reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season before losing to the eventual champion New York Knicks.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah
