LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James is joining the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.
In a message on X, the 41-year-old James said he felt he was finished at the end of the season and that he needed time to figure out his future.
“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 deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.
“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. 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.
“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. Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!”
James joins the 76ers after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers in which he led the franchise to its 17th NBA championship. With a player option on his contract, James informed the Lakers before the start of free agency that he intended to leave the franchise for another team.
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The 76ers team is one that has overhauled the top of its roster since the start of the offseason. Philadelphia previously traded Paul George and draft capital to the rival Boston Celtics in the deal to acquire All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown in the most shocking move of the summer.
Now they’ll add James to an imposing core that also features All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, former MVP center Joel Embiid and rising star guar VJ Edgecombe.
The trade for Brown signaled Philadelphia’s intent to compete for a championship next season coming off a first-round playoff upset of the No. 2 seed Celtics as the No. 7 seed. The acquisition of James hammers that intent home.
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As usual, Philadelphia’s prospects will rely heavily on the health and availability of Embiid. But with Brown and now James in the mix, the 76ers project to challenge the reigning champion New York Knicks in the East next season.
James is no longer an MVP contender. But he remarkably remains one of basketball’s most impactful players at 41 years old.
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game last season while shooting 51.5% from the floor in 60 games. He was named an All-Star for a 22nd consecutive season.
For the first time in his career, he wasn’t the clear No. 1 option on a Lakers team that featured Luka Dončić in his prime. But when called upon to fill that role, he delivered.
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With Dončić and Austin Reaves both injured at the start of the postseason, James led the Lakers to a first-round playoff defeat of the Houston Rockets. He averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 10 playoff games that also included a second-round sweep at the hands of the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
James’ combination of longevity and production is unmatched in the history of the NBA, and he’s prepared to continue to play as long as he can compete at a high level.
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