The Philadelphia 76ers landed their top free agent target in LeBron James.
On Friday, July 24, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Sixers are the winners of the sweepstakes, beating out the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and the Miami Heat.
The 41-year-old confirmed his move on Friday with an official statement, noting that he nearly called it a career.
LeBron James makes an official statement
"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."
IÂ 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
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 24, 2026
From the start of his free agency, LeBron's reps made it clear that he wasn't prioritizing money, or making the decision based on anybody else's thoughts.
"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," he added in his statement.
The superstar forward believes that the Sixers are the team that can get James another NBA championship before he hangs it up.
The Sixers have the ideal roster
Every team in the LeBron sweepstakes had a strong case to lure in LeBron, but the Sixers needed a strong power forward to complete what they hope is a championship puzzle.
The team has two All-Stars in Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. The second-year guard VJ Edgecombe is recognized as one of the most intriguing young guards in the game after his special rookie season.
Then, the Sixers flipped an underwhelming Paul George stint into Jaylen Brown. The former Boston Celtics star is coming off an MVP-caliber season with the Celtics.
Now, the Sixers are adding LeBron, who just had an All-Star campaign at 41. In 60 games with the Lakers, James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.
Throughout his eight-year career with the Lakers, LeBron produced averages of 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game.
When it's all said and done, LeBron will go out with one of the most decorated resumes in NBA history. From a team perspective, he's got four NBA championships--and he was the MVP in each series. The King wants at least one more with the Sixers before he officially calls it.
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