LeBron chooses 76ers, calls it his 'last decision'...
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- LeBron James is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option with the Philadelphia 76ers, a steep drop from the nearly $53 million he earned with the Lakers last season
- James, entering a record-breaking 24th NBA season, said on X that he seriously considered retirement after the 2025-26 season before concluding he 'still truly love[s] this game, and I have more to give'
- The 76ers mounted an aggressive recruitment: president Bob Myers made a digital pitch on Rich Paul's podcast, while players Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and newly acquired Jaylen Brown lobbied James directly
- DraftKings Sportsbook moved the Sixers' NBA Finals odds from 20-1 to +900 and their Eastern Conference odds from +750 to +370 within hours of the announcement
- James will attempt to end Philadelphia's 43-year championship drought (last title: 1983), mirroring his 2016 feat of ending Cleveland's 52-year drought for the Cavaliers
- The Lakers era ended after eight years — James's longest consecutive tenure with any team — and included the 2020 title and his on-court pairing with son Bronny, who agent Rich Paul said is 'not a package deal' with no plan to join Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro proclaimed Friday as LeBron James Day in the state
Why it matters: James voluntarily cut his pay from $53M to $8M — the source notes he said he's 'not going for money' — signaling this is a pure ring chase that ends a 43-year Philly title drought quest. DraftKings immediately shortened Sixers Finals odds from 20-1 to +900, and the Sixers now pair James with Embiid, Maxey, and Brown in the Eastern Conference where former suitors Cleveland and Miami still stand.
