'Oh my gosh, here we go': How LeBron landed in Philadelphia — SkimNews
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- LeBron James took 24 days to make his free agency decision after Rich Paul of Klutch Sports initially spoke with 27 teams, narrowing the field to a final five: the 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors, and Timberwolves.
- The Boston Celtics expressed interest in James despite being his longtime rival, and the LA Clippers discussed a one-year contract worth more than $20 million that would let him stay at his Brentwood, California, home.
- At Fanatics Fest on July 17, James inadvertently said "trust the process" — the 76ers' slogan — sending roughly 5,000 attendees into a frenzy; a source close to James told ESPN he "thought it was funny, but also it wasn't conscious."
- James broke the news via a shared Topps social media story showing a white No. 23 Sixers uniform alongside an autographed one-of-one trading card, becoming the first athlete to monetize his free agency that way.
- 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey — who lost to James for Ohio's Mr. Basketball in 2001 — received Rich Paul's text at his Midwest home, told his wife "we just got LeBron," and walked around the block for two hours fielding calls.
- Jaylen Brown's July 6 trade from the Celtics to a division rival drew James's attention to Philadelphia; Harris Blitzer president Bob Myers then argued on Paul's "Game Over" podcast July 8 that the Sixers offered the most championship-ready roster despite Embiid playing just 96 games over three seasons since his 2023 MVP.
Why it matters: The Sixers just added the league's all-time leading scorer to a roster that already includes Joel Embiid (96 games over three seasons), Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown — and a 41-year-old James now controls whether a franchise carrying a 43-year championship drought finally breaks through.
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