LeBron James was the story of the NBA offseason. First, it started with speculation on whether James would play a 24th season in the NBA. When it was confirmed James intended to keep going, he added more mystery to the situation by announcing he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fans of a number of teams waiting with bated to see where King James would wind up. After the dust settled, James chose the Philadelphia 76ers, making the team one of the favorites to win the NBA championship.
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How will the 76ers’ massive collection of talent come together? Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait too long to see it in person. The 76ers are one of the teams taking the court on opening night. And they’ll face off against the defending-champion New York Knicks.
The game will take place Oct. 20, and is slotted as the second game of the 2026-27 NBA season.
The Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons will kick off the year. Following the 76ers vs. Knicks, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs will play the final opening-night game.
The 76ers are expected to receive a number of nationally-televised games in what could be James’ final season in the NBA. While the 41-year-old signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, it’s unclear whether James will play out both seasons with the team. The second year of that deal includes a player option, so it’s on James to make that decision when the time comes. He hasn’t made any definitive announcements about his future yet.
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What is clear is that — despite his age — James remains an elite NBA player. In his final year with the Lakers, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds. While his 20.9 points per game was actually tied with the lowest of his career — his rookie season — it was still plenty impressive considering he was 41 most of the season.
If that’s a sign Father Time is finally catching up with James, it’s one of the few. Other than James dealing with more injuries with the Lakers, he’s mostly maintained excellent production on the court. James received MVP votes as recently as the 2024-25 NBA season and led the Lakers to a title in the COVID-19-shortened season.
With very little left for James to accomplish, the move to the 76ers seems to be all about winning another championship before he hangs up his sneakers for good. James enters his 24th season in the NBA with four titles — two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Lakers.
If he can claim another championship, James would become the only player in NBA history to win a title with four different franchises. He would also — somehow — further his legacy with a fifth ring, which would put him one behind Michael Jordan.
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While the ring difference is often use to separate James and Jordan, James has reached the NBA Finals 10 times. That’s a testament to his ability to carry teams as far as possible, especially in cases where they are the underdog.
Given James’ age, getting a sixth ring feels highly unlikely. But if the 76ers can win a championship in his first year there, James could have the motivation to stick around for one more year to see if he can match his idol.
This story will be updated.
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