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LeBron James explained why he picked the Sixers. Here are four other factors that may have helped.

LeBron James explained in great detail his decision to join the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal.

There were many layers to consider, including money, family, and legacy. James shared that he pondered retirement and thought he was “done when the season ended.” He also called this his last decision, which meant he needed to see several factors to feel like he was selecting the right team for the final years of his career.

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

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 24, 2026

Picking the Sixers makes sense from that framework. Even before the news broke Friday, the Sixers were considered competitors in the Eastern Conference. Of course, James’ addition raises those expectations and the pressure is on to get the task done with him in Philly.

So what were the things that made James so sure about the Sixers? Here’s a look at potential contributing factors to James picking them over suitors like the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat:

The Tyrese Maxey relationship

Rich Paul, Klutch Sports’ CEO and James’ agent, made it clear that Tyrese Maxey was a major reason the Sixers landed the NBA legend. Maxey, who also is a Klutch client, slipped in the 2020 draft and was drafted by the Sixers 21st overall out of Kentucky.

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Since then, the point guard has developed into an All-Star and All-NBA talent. He entered this summer as the Sixers’ unquestioned leader on and off the court and now will have company with James and Jaylen Brown, who was acquired in a trade earlier this month. And while Maxey has been described as James’ “little brother,” it didn’t hurt that he averaged 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists last season.

Win-ready roster

The Sixers entered this summer in dire straits. While they had advanced from the play-in to upset the Celtics before a second-round exit, the reality was that they were stuck with a top-heavy roster. With Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid on max deals, the majority of their salary-cap space was dedicated to three players, which is an unenviable place to be with league’s more punitive luxury tax.

A note to LeBron James’ skeptics. And maybe to the Sixers’.

Then, as Paul said, “everything changed” when the Sixers traded George and acquired Brown, who is fresh off his most productive NBA season. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading the Boston Celtics to the playoffs as former running mate Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles injury. New president of basketball operations Mike Gansey and the Sixers front office added Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons to complete a roster centered on Brown, Embiid, Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and rookie Labaron Philon Jr.

The Sixers were expected to compete in the East as constructed. And James pushed those expectations over the edge.

LeBron James adds even more firepower to an already potent Sixers lineup.

Trustworthy front office

After parting ways with Daryl Morey, the Sixers changed how they approached the front office. They took on a more egalitarian approach, with Bob Myers as Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports, Mike Gansey as president of basketball operations, and Jameer Nelson as executive vice president of basketball operations.

All three architects of the Sixers’ new-look roster have relationships with James and Paul. Gansey and James played high school basketball in Northeast Ohio at the same era and shared time in the Cavaliers organization. Myers, who ran the Golden State Warriors to four titles, was a respected rival of James’ — Golden State won three titles over his Cavaliers, while Cavs won in 2016. Myers also is friends with Paul and appeared on his Game Over podcast. Nelson, a former St. Joseph’s star, was an NBA contemporary of James. A source close to James also told The Inquirer on Friday that James has known Sixers co-owner David Blitzer for many years.

Grading Mike Gansey’s transformational first offseason as Sixers president

Those are deep roots. So while the Sixers might not have seemed like the obvious choice, the people in the franchise’s driver’s seat have run in the same circles as James and his confidants over the last two decades.

Mike Gansey (center), pictured with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports Bob Myers and Sixers managing partner Josh Harris, played high school basketball in Northeast Ohio in the same era as LeBron James.

A new challenge

The prevailing thought was that James would land with the Cavaliers or Heat, bookending his career with one of the teams on which he won three of his four NBA titles. But shocking free agency decisions aren’t new for James. No one expected him to leave the Cavaliers for the Heat, and his adventure in Los Angeles seemed even less likely. So this decision to join the Sixers and take on a new challenge follows a theme.

LeBron James first played in Philly as a teen and had no interest in seeing the Liberty Bell

There’s also the chance to make history in Philly. James led Cleveland to its first sports title in 52 years when the Cavs won in 2016. He rescued the Heat after they fell on hard times and struggled to put a team together around Dwyane Wade. And he provided the Lakers a return to glory after they had gone a decade without a title. He can do that again in Philly. The Sixers haven’t won a title since 1983 and haven’t advanced past to the second round since 2001. James even said it himself.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team,” James wrote, “and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”

July 25, 2026
A note to LeBron James’ skeptics. And maybe to the Sixers’.

Anybody who doubts the existential significance of the news that broke late Friday morning only needed to walk through Center City as the world broke for lunch. It was the darnedest of things, borderline ridiculous, enough to make you cringe in real time at the thought of writing it down. You could keep a steady pace and never escape the news, for every few strides there was another person telling someone else at a volume everybody else could hear, receptionists and tradesmen and medical technicians and folks waiting for busses to parts unknown, flashing phone screens like lottery tickets and yelling “Yo” into microphones and, in at least one case, wandering alone looking up toward the sky with a smile so zen you could have sworn you were one of the ones getting left behind.

It was a startling thing to witness. A revelation, even. Amidst the direct and inescapable blast of modern day America’s technological firehose, there are still stories so universally relevant as to draw a chorus from chaos and fragmentation.

It was also a reminder. A reminder that, however ardent his skeptics and critics, however loud their sighs of breath, however long their rolls of eyes, LeBron James long ago escaped the containment of both basketball court and court of public opinion. He is a cultural singularity, to an extent that few athletes before him have ever been.

That might be a helpful thing for the sighers and eye-rollers to keep in mind. Even if LeBron is not your GOAT, or even your ideal of what a great athlete should be, it has little bearing on the significance of his deciding to cast his final lot with the Sixers. He is unquestionably on the shortest of short lists for the best to have ever done something, and even if he isn’t the best still doing it, he is good enough to have had a standing offer from virtually every contending team in the NBA. Sure, there are teams, and fans of teams, who could argue that the spectacle might conflict with the mission. But, then, these are the Sixers. The spectacle is James choosing to join them. The reputational risk is disproportionately his to bear.

LeBron James has won titles recently, and the Sixers have not been close.

It would be silly and self-disqualifying to ignore the magnitude of such a decision. Miami, Cleveland, Golden State, Denver — all have won titles. Those who have done it without him might be justified in thinking about legacies, whether that of the organization or that of the incumbent superstar. The Sixers have no legacy. Less than a month ago, they had very little hope of being relevant for the next three years. There aren’t many worst-case outcomes for them.

Isn’t that the genesis of the reaction? Its universality? Its … audibility? On a basketball level, on a competitive level, one has no choice but to at least pay some reconsiderations to one’s prior assumptions about both player and team.

The only thing the Sixers had going for them was the basketball level. Whether James proves to be a difference-maker is almost secondary to the fact that he thinks he can be. Nobody has ever done what he is attempting to do, on practically every different level. Win a title with a fourth team. Win a title at the age of 42. Win a title alongside Joel Embiid.

Nobody has ever done those things. Yet, few have done anything that James has already done at every juncture of his career. He already holds the record for most minutes played at both age 40 and age 41. The 1,989 he logged last season were nearly 300 more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1988-89. That doesn’t include the postseason, when James averaged 38 minutes and 23.2 points per game to lead the Lakers to a first-round upset of the Rockets without co-star Luka Dončić.

James isn’t the player he once was, obviously. He may not even be the player that the current consensus holds him to be. His .594 true shooting percentage — a measure of collective offensive efficiency from the field and foul line — was slightly better than league average in 2025-26. His 30.8 points per 100 possessions average was his lowest since his rookie season and nearly four points lower than any season since. He does not rebound or force his way to the foul line the way he once did.

But all of that only lowers James to the level of all of the other players throughout his career who weren’t anything close to the players he was in his prime. The difference is that those players were also in their primes. James is 41. If you erased everybody’s age from the stats, you’d easily zero in on him as a player who would be a massive value on a playoff roster at $4 million per year. That’s before you factor in the sum of his game: not only the ability to carry an offense for stretches as a primary scorer and spend the interim as an elite connector, but also the true ballplayer aspects of the game that escape quantification. It isn’t a fluke that the Lakers were a better defensive team in both the regular season and postseason when James was on the floor. It isn’t a coincidence that they rebounded better and committed fewer turnovers in the postseason.

For all of James’ physical advantages, for all of the legitimate debates one can have when weighting those advantages in the Greatest of All Time argument, anybody who has watched James play should be able to appreciate the feel that he has for the game of basketball. He is the rare superstar who is also a glue guy, as evidenced by the varied rosters with which he has won championships.

Therein lies the real coup for the Sixers.

July 25, 2026
LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, explains why the all-time great picked the Sixers

If you have been following the LeBron James’ free agency saga, you have probably tuned into or read about Game Over — a podcast hosted by James’ agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.

It was on Game Over that Paul first confirmed the 76ers as a possible destination for the four-time NBA champion. It was on Game Over that Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers made a direct pitch for James to join the Sixers. Now, it’s on Game Over that Paul — one of the closest people to James — explains James’ rationale for signing with Philadelphia.

Here are four things we learned from Friday’s episode:

How long has it been Philly?

The conversation started with Game Over cohost Max Kellerman asking Paul how long James had known he was signing with the Sixers before the announcement was public.

“He just decided on it, 100%” Paul said, adding that the competition was “pretty layered across the board.”

How LeBron James’ career led him to Philly

Later in the episode, Paul commented on the difficulties of the decision and said, “how hard it is to go away from a Miami and go away from a Cleveland, and who wouldn’t want to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green?”

From Paul’s comments, conspiracy theorists seemingly can rule out James’ previous “trust the process” comments at Fanatics Fest as confirmation that his mind was made up last week.

What were James’ deciding factors?

On Friday, after ESPN first reported James would be signing with the Sixers, the all-time great took to social media to release a statement. James cited the “chance at the feeling of winning another championship” as his main motivation for coming to Philadelphia.

“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,” James wrote on X.

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

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 24, 2026

Paul expanded on James’ reasoning on Game Over and said it was a “love for the game decision.”

“Nobody at this level is this accomplished, this successful at life, still wanting to play the game. I don’t know what else you can say about it besides someone being very obsessed with the game of basketball,” Paul said.

LeBron chose the hard, dramatic path when he picked the Sixers. Get ready for a wild ride, Philly. | Mike Sielski

A big question around James’ decision was whether his family life, rooted solidly in Los Angeles, would play any role in where he landed. Paul also addressed how James’ family factored into him signing with Philadelphia.

“Yeah the distance, that plays a huge role,” Paul said. “I think he talked about it, just being just so far away. I think it’s a testament to what his family has always meant to him and how they supported him in understanding just his love for the game.”

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What does Paul think about the basketball fit?

James is expected to slip into the Sixers’ four spot with relative ease. Last season, wing Jaylen Brown (then with the Celtics) and point guard Tyrese Maxey finished fourth and fifth in points per game, respectively. With two ball-dominant players — and a former MVP in Joel Embiid when healthy — James could take on a complementary role at 41 years old.

LeBron James first played in Philly as a teen and had no interest in seeing the Liberty Bell

Paul sees James as the “secondary playmaker” on the team behind Maxey and said that “if he’s your secondary playmaker, you have the best secondary playmaker in the league.” He also sees some potential pick-and-roll action in the future for James and Maxey, similar to how James played alongside All-Star guard Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. Similarly, he feels that James can help elevate sophomore guard VJ Edgecombe’s game.

“When you talk about a guy like VJ Edgecombe, [James] definitely helps him because when you’re so athletic, you tend to lean on that a lot.” he said. “But in VJ.’s case, really honing in and being efficient [is important]. When you add a LeBron, everything changes.”

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul believes that LeBron James (left) could be good for VJ Edgecombe’s development.

Did Joel Embiid’s health play a factor?

Like any decision involving the Sixers, Embiid’s health could be a factor in James’ deliberations in signing with them. Embiid has played just 96 games in the three seasons since raising the MVP trophy. However, Paul seemed optimistic about the big man’s current status.

“I don’t want to be too hard on Embiid, but you have to think about all those things,” Paul said. “And from my understanding, Embiid is doing a hell of a job this summer. It’s the first summer he’s actually been healthy, not having some type of surgery over the summer, which is always good. And, look, anybody knows if Embiid is your best player on the team, you’re a really good team. If he’s your second-best player on the team, you’re an unbelievably good team. If he’s your third-best player on the team, this is basically the U.S. [team].

July 25, 2026
Steve Gansey received a whole lot of brotherly love after LeBron James picked the Sixers

Steve Gansey, brother of Mike Gansey, was at work on Friday morning when the texts started to trickle in.

Two colleagues from Philly shared the news that LeBron James had agreed to sign with the 76ers. The younger Gansey logged onto Twitter, and saw a post from ESPN insider Shams Charania saying the same.

Like any other responsible basketball fan, he checked to make sure it wasn’t a prank account, before getting too excited.

“I was like, ‘OK, well, who knows?’” Gansey said on Friday. “You’ve got to do your due diligence and make sure that’s real.”

LeBron James’ signing adds an exclamation point to the Sixers’ transformational summer

About an hour later, Steve received the ultimate confirmation from his brother, Mike, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations.

“Mike actually called me,” he said. “And was like, ‘What’s up?’ And I was like ‘….What’s up?’”

Steve said his brother barely talked about LeBron at all.

“We talked about how excited he is, this, that, and the other, and the first thing he said was, ’Yeah, it’s Nick Nurse’s birthday,’” Gansey said. “And Nick was boarding a plane or something, and Mike had to shoot him a text, and he said, ‘Happy Birthday,’ or something.”

He added: “Only a couple of hours after he gets the news with LeBron, Mike is talking about going to the flea market with his kids tomorrow in Cleveland. And how excited he is to find some old-school Starting Lineups or action figures. That’s just who Mike is.”

👀 pic.twitter.com/2f1VjgQORa

— Steven Gansey (@SGAN30) July 2, 2026

The younger Gansey ignited Twitter a few weeks ago when he posted a photo of his brother, side-by-side, with LeBron, in high school. LeBron played basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary, a short drive from Olmsted Falls, where Gansey played.

Steve says he didn’t have any inside knowledge when he posted that prophetic tweet, but that didn’t stop Sixers fans from showering him with praise on Friday afternoon, after the news became official.

“Everyone was like, ‘Thanks Steve, for everything,’ like I did something,” Gansey said. “I gave people hope, I guess, by throwing out a couple of tweets there.”

Philly, what’s up?!

— Steven Gansey (@SGAN30) July 24, 2026

Steve has never been to Philadelphia; the closest he got was a few trips to Delaware when he was coaching in the G League. But he is excited to go. And when he does, he will have plenty of free food and alcohol awaiting him.

“Someone said that Mike can walk on the Sch-ku-yu? What is it? Water?” Gansey said, referring to the Schuylkill River. “I was like, ‘OK, that must be a tough body of water to walk on.’

“The free Tastykakes. ‘I have your hookup for free Tastykakes for Mike.’ Free cheesesteaks. ‘You get free beer, or a free drink, when you come into town.’”

LeBron James first played in Philly as a teen and had no interest in seeing the Liberty Bell

These are nice perks, but the younger brother is more proud of his brother than anything else — and unlike the rest of the NBA, he’s certainly not surprised.

“It comes around,” he said. “And that’s what relationships are. Obviously they have a good relationship together, they won a championship together, they feel comfortable. Nick Nurse won a championship. He’s a players-first type of coach.

“It’s just really awesome that they are back together again. And it’s even cooler that they’re teaming up in a different city. Two northeast Ohio guys, takin’ on the world.”

July 25, 2026
How LeBron’s career led him to the Sixers — and how he performed at each stop along the way
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LeBron’s path to Philly

The Sixers will be King James’ fifth stop in his 24-year NBA career. Here’s how he fared at each of his previous stops.

John Duchneskie/ Staff illustration; photos by Yong Kim / Staff Photographer, and AP

By

Mia Messina

Published July 24, 2026

The wait is over. LeBron James has made his decision and the Philadelphia 76ers are the next team in his NBA career.

The oldest active player in the NBA, James began his 23-year career in Cleveland in 2003, and has seen stops in Miami, Cleveland again, and Los Angeles, before leading him to Philly.

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James has a record 22 All-Star nods, four NBA titles, four MVP trophies, and a slew of other accolades and records that place him in the debate as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Starting his career in Cleveland (2003-10)

Awards: MVP (2009, 2010)

James started his career with the Cavaliers after being drafted first overall by Cleveland in the 2003 NBA draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 39.5 minutes, earning him the Rookie of the Year award over Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.

He made his first NBA Finals appearance with Cleveland in 2007, but the Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

The following season, James won his first and only individual NBA scoring title, leading the league with 30.0 points per game, which was a career-high at the time and the second-best mark of his career. That season he became the youngest player to reach 10,000 points and earned his first MVP title.

During his first tenure with the Cavs, James appeared in 548 games for Cleveland, averaging 27.8 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds in 40.3 minutes.

A big ‘Decision’ brings him to Miami (2010-14)

Awards: MVP (2012, 2013), NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013)

NBA titles: 2012 and 2013

James’ next stop was in Miami. Following his first “Decision,” James played for the Heat from 2010 to 2014, and appeared in the NBA Finals in all four seasons alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

It was in Miami that James won his first NBA championship, going back-to-back in 2012 and 2013, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. He won both the regular-season and NBA Finals MVPs in each of those seasons as well.

James has experienced a slight dip in points per game with each new team, averaging 26.9 points in his 294 games with the Heat. However, his rebounding average increased to 7.6 per game, while his assists sat at 6.7 per game. His average minutes per game has also decreased with the progression of his career, dropping to 38 while in Miami.

But it was with the Heat that James played what some considered his best basketball defensively, earning the best defensive rating of his career (97.3) during the 2011-12 season and finishing as the runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 2012-2013 season, losing to Marc Gasol.

He also posted a career-best field goal percentage in Miami, making 56.5% of his shots in the 2012-13 season and 56.7% in the 2013-14 season.

LeBron goes home again (2014-18)

Awards: NBA Finals MVP (2016)

NBA Titles: 2016

In his return to Cleveland, James finally delivered a much anticipated NBA championship to his hometown team in 2016, beating the Golden State Warriors in a Game 7 after erasing a 3-1 game deficit earlier in the series. He won his third NBA Finals MVP award as well. James’ championship with the Cavaliers followed a NBA Finals loss to the Warriors the year before, in his first season back in Cleveland.

His average rebounding saw a career peak during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, averaging 8.6 rebounds both seasons. His best scoring season with the Cavaliers also came in his final season in Cleveland, when he averaged 27.5 points per game.

During his four-season return, James played an additional 301 games with the Cavaliers, averaging 26.1 points per game, while both his average rebounds and assists increased to 7.7 and 8, respectively, despite his minutes dipping again, down to 36.6 minutes per game.

Taking his talents to Hollywood (2018-2026)

Awards: NBA Finals MVP (2020), NBA Career Points Record (2023)

NBA titles: 2020

In his most recent stop, James saw both highs and lows in his career statistics.

Last season, James matched his rookie year for his lowest points-per-game average of his career (20.9). But just a few seasons prior, in 2021-2022, James averaged 30.3 points, his highest in 14 years.

Since that season, James has also seen the worst defensive ratings of his career, with his lowest this past season with 115.6.

Still, James also had many highs in LA, including his fourth and most recent NBA title over the Heat in 2020’s COVID-19 bubble. James won his fourth NBA Finals MVP that season.

On Feb. 7, 2023, James became the league’s all-time leading scorer when he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA regular-season scoring record (38,387) with a fadeaway jumper at the end of the third quarter against the Thunder. James currently has 43,440 regular-season points. He also saw his best three-point percentage during the 2023-24 season, making 41% of his attempts from beyond the line.

Over his eight seasons with the Lakers (479 games), James averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 34.9 minutes.

A final chapter in Philly (2026)

Now, the 41-year-old forward is joining the Sixers after agreeing to a two-year, $8 million contract.

While his performance in Philly remains to be seen, James can once again join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop the NBA record books as one of the oldest starters to play on an NBA championship team. Abdul-Jabbar was 41 in the 1987-88 season with the Lakers.

Other players over 40-years-old on NBA Championship teams include Kevin Willis with the Spurs in 2002-03, James Edwards with the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96, and Robert Parish with the Bulls in 1996-97, but none of the three were starters during those seasons.

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Staff Contributors

Reporting: Mia Messina

Data: Chris Williams

Graphics: Steve Madden

Development: Sam Morris

Design: John Duchneskie

Photography: Yong Kim; Associated Press

Editing: Matt Mullin

Topics mentioned in this story

LeBron James
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July 24, 2026
‘Definitely championship or bust’: What Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, NBA legends and media stars said about LeBron to the Sixers

LeBron James suiting up for the Sixers? Now, more than three weeks after the opening of NBA free agency, that idea is a reality.

The news broke Friday morning with essentially no warning. James himself announced the signing on his X account, and a storm of takes ensued.

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said the move makes Philadelphia a legitimate championship threat. Perkins and James played together for the 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers, who fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. With an existing core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and the recently acquired Jaylen Brown, Perkins believes that adding James will put Philadelphia over the top.

“The Philadelphia 76ers, with LeBron James, can win the championship this year with this roster,” Perkins said. “The teams that he won a championship with, they had dogs … this is what [the Sixers] have.”

Hall of Famer Vince Carter was equally high on the Sixers’ latest signing, calling his presence on an already talented roster “cheating.” Like James, who is entering his 24th NBA season, Carter played well into his 40s, with a career spanning from the 1998-99 season to 2019-20. But while the No. 5 overall pick in 1998 didn’t win an NBA title in his 22-season career, James is aiming for his fifth championship and to become the first player to win one with four teams.

"That's cheating." – @mrvincecarter15 😂

LeBron James to the @sixers is a basketball cheat code according to Vince Carter. Good luck to the rest of the NBA 😅 pic.twitter.com/fAskKJjkUN

— Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady (@VinceAndTmac) July 24, 2026

Not lost in the madness were the other teams in contention to sign James. Before Friday’s announcement, the Sixers were ranked No. 4 across prediction markets, trailing the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Heat in likelihood to sign James. Days ago, Miami posted the link to a livestream to formally introduce James, which it said was accidental. But many fans believed the accident was the stream being leaked early, not that James wasn’t signing in Miami.

Podcast host Dan Le Batard said he was confident in James heading back to Miami from the start.

“I’m just now beginning to get the texts that the Heat are curious how it is that the Sixers did this,” Le Batard said. “I think a whole lot of people are surprised that it happened at all, even though Philadelphia was always in the conversation … nobody thought that he would trust Joel Embiid’s health as the punctuation on his career.”

Another factor that surprised Le Batard was financial. He said sources had told him Miami’s offer to James was for double the money.

The Miami heat are curious to why LeBron James went to the Sixers for half the money they offered, per @LeBatardShow

(h/t @Thechat101) pic.twitter.com/emEgsY8gMJ

— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) July 24, 2026

Friday morning’s news was equally as shocking to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who thought the Akron, Ohio, native would return to his home state and the Cleveland Cavaliers for his third stint.

“I thought that if he was going back East, he would go home, that he wouldn’t dangle his availability in the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers and then go somewhere else,” said Smith, a former Inquirer columnist. “For him to choose the Philadelphia 76ers, this is a shock among shockers.”

Smith’s thought process was one shared by many who assumed James desired a “storybook ending” with his last team. The 41-year-old grew up about 40 miles from Cleveland, was drafted first overall by the Cavaliers, spent 11 seasons with the team, and brought the franchise its only championship. And yet, Philadelphia prevailed.

“This speaks to Bob Myers, the architect, the former four-time championship executive for the Golden State Warriors,” Smith said.

Myers, who is president of sports at Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, led the search for the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, following the firing of former executive Daryl Morey. Myers hired former Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey at the end of May, and remains involved in what he called “high-level decision making.”

Signing James certainly qualifies.

"I thought that if he was going back East, he would go home, that he wouldn't dangle his presence, his availability in the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers and then go somewhere else" – Stephen A. Smith reacts to LeBron James signing with the 76ers pic.twitter.com/NwXvPN8mN0

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 24, 2026

Later Friday, Smith hosted Sixers legend Allen Iverson on his radio show. The 11-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was enthusiastic about his former team’s chances with the addition of James.

“Definitely championship or bust, man. I mean, that’s the added piece,” Iverson said. “Obviously, you put him on any team … you definitely have a chance.”

One concern Iverson had was the team’s health. Embiid has played in just 96 of 246 possible games over the past three seasons, and the team generally has struggled in his absence. Nearing age 42, James’ health is no certainty either. But Iverson believes adding James to an already potent core gives the Sixers a great chance to thrive and potentially return to the Finals for the first time since Iverson’s MVP season of 2000-01.

“He just boosts the percentage of any team having a chance to win the championship,” he said.

“Definitely championship or bust, man. I mean, that's the added piece we needed. Obviously you put him on any team, to me, you definitely have a chance. But obviously, a whole lot of things gotta go right during the season. Definitely health. But as far as the leadership, the… pic.twitter.com/jwEDoWRE4r

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 24, 2026

Iverson wasn’t the only former Sixer who Smith hosted. Charles Barkley also chimed in, but he said he was disappointed that James signed with his former team.

“I wanted him to go back to Cleveland. I mean, he has no affiliation with the 76ers,” Barkley said.

As for why James decided to sign with Philadelphia, Barkley believes it had to do with the other big Gansey/Myers move this offseason — the trade for Jaylen Brown. The former Celtic averaged 28.7 points last season and was Finals MVP in 2023-24.

“I have no idea what the Celtics [were thinking], trading a great player like Jaylen, someone they got to play against five times a year … but this move makes the Sixers the team to beat in the East,” he said.

Charles Barkley credits the Celtics for LeBron joining Philly:

“I was shocked, he has no affiliation with the 76ers. But i think the kicker was Jaylen Brown. I don’t know what the Celtics were thinking. LeBron would’ve have come to Philly if they didn’t get Jaylen Brown. Someone… pic.twitter.com/qwSt6GIkfe

— JayTakes (@SportsWithJay0) July 24, 2026

July 24, 2026
Everything you need to know about LeBron James signing with the Sixers: Debut, merch, championship odds, and more

After weeks of speculation, LeBron James made his “last decision” on Friday morning and announced that he would be joining the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract. The news comes just one week after an appearance at Fanatics Fest, where the 22-time All-Star said he wanted to play for a team that “trusts the process.”

James joins a team that acquired All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown roughly three weeks ago. Ahead of James’ arrival in the City of Brotherly Love, here’s everything you need to know — from when he could make his Sixers debut to his current connections to the city:

How did the Sixers land LeBron?

James’ agent and longtime friend Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast that “everything changed” when the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown on July 1, one day after James informed the Lakers that he’d be entering free agency.

The Sixers suddenly found themselves among the reported top three destinations for the future Hall of Famer, but many believed them to be a distant third to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, two of James’ former homes where he also won NBA titles. But after many twists and turns and hints that may or may not have actually been hints — you can get the full play-by-play here — James ultimately decided to bring his talents to Philly.

Recapping King James’ free agency twists and turns that led to the Sixers

When will LeBron debut?

We’re currently still waiting for the release of the Sixers’ 2026-27 schedule.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver delayed the release of the schedule with the NBA world on hold, waiting for James’ free agency decision. But on Monday, some of the Sixers preseason schedule was revealed: two games against the Boston Celtics.

On Oct. 10 (8 p.m.), they’ll travel to TD Garden. And on Oct. 16 (7 p.m.), they will host the Celtics at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. James can choose to play in preseason or opt out and wait for the regular season.

The four-time NBA champion has played preseason games in the past but opted out last year when he also missed 14 regular season games with sciatica.

LeBron chose the hard, dramatic path when he picked the Sixers. Get ready for a wild ride, Philly. | Mike Sielski

How will he fit into the lineup?

James will join a team that includes former league MVP Joel Embiid, two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, rising star V.J. Edgecombe, and five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown, whom the team acquired in a blockbuster trade in July.

Adding the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer, who’s the NBA’s all-time leader in points, a four-time MVP, and a four-time NBA champion, makes these Sixers a true title contender.

Here’s a look at the projected depth chart:

Sixers championship odds

Since the decision, the Sixers title odds have improved from +2000, according to Sports Illustrated on July 20, to +900.

Here are the current odds, according to DraftKings.

Where to get merch?

Fanatics already was selling LeBron James Sixers merch — and they sold out fast.

The No. 23 royal blue Swingman jersey, which was listed at $124.99, was sold out by 1:40 p.m., Philadelphia time. A James royal blue Fast Break jersey, listed for $79.99, also will be available to preorder.

A signed James 2026-27 Topps trading card, which was featured on James’ Instagram after the announcement, also is available to purchase through Fanatics. The cards are selling for between $11.99 for a single card and $169.99 for a 20-pack.

Brandon Williams, Fanatics’ vice president for global communications, said more merchandise will be added. Meanwhile, Rally House was letting customers preorder a royal blue James T-shirt for $37 on Friday afternoon. The shirt will ship Aug. 31.

LeBron James Sixers jerseys are already selling out on Fanatics

Does LeBron have any Philly ties?

Throughout roughly three weeks of speculating where King James would land, notable Philly figures did everything in their power to pitch him on Philly — including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, popular streamer iShowSpeed, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean.

In the end, it paid off.

Philly may have been the biggest surprise, compared to some of the other teams on the top of James’ free agency list — his former teams in the Miami Heat and hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.

But James also has ties to Philly that go beyond Phillies star Bryce Harper recreating his famous “Chosen One” Sports Illustrated cover.

Another chosen ones chooses Philly. Bryce Harper 🤝 LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/lJKkH0R7yy

— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) July 24, 2026

He also has ties to some key figures within the Sixers organization, including co-owner David Blitzer.

Mike Gansey

James has ties to multiple people in the Sixers organization, including Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. Gansey’s younger brother, Steve, posted a photo of the two Ohio natives standing side by side in high school.

👀 pic.twitter.com/2f1VjgQORa

— Steven Gansey (@SGAN30) July 2, 2026

Gansey finished as runner-up to James in the 2001 Mr. Ohio Basketball race.

Before Mike Gansey became a Sixers executive, he was a hard-nosed high school player who earned LeBron James’ respect

Tyrese Maxey

James also is close to Maxey through agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.

“A key factor in any sort of Philadelphia pursuit of LeBron is Tyrese Maxey. That is not only because of his talent, which is awesome, but he’s one of Klutch’s core clients,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “He’s basically a part of LeBron’s extended family, so you would not only have Jaylen Brown as the addition, you would have Tyrese Maxey as your drawing card.”

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to emerge as a strong suitor for LeBron James due to the Tyrese Maxey connection, per @WindhorstESPN

Maxey, who shares the same Klutch Sports agency as LeBron, is viewed as a major recruiting tool for Philly. pic.twitter.com/6GCoUHgl9y

— NBABase (@TheNBABase) July 2, 2026

Maxey has referred previously to James as his “big brother.” They also train together every summer. In December, James had a lot of high praise for the 25 year old.

“I love the success and the humbleness that Tyrese does it at,” James told NBC Sports Philadelphia in December. “It starts with his family, and, you know, he’s just taking full advantage of the opportunity here. And he’s made the most of it. … Obviously, I love his game. But I love him the person more, than even his game and that’s, you know, that’s tough to do as great as he is on the court.

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Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown

James has history with other Sixers, too, notably Embiid and Brown. Embiid and James played on the USA Basketball team that competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Embiid committed to play for Team USA, turning down the opportunity to play for Cameroon or France, and won gold with the Americans.

Meanwhile, Brown and James have a more controversial history. During a 2024 summer league game, Brown was spotted in the crowd saying, “I don’t think Bronny is a pro.” James later responded to the comments.

Were the Sixers close to landing James in the past?

The Sixers and James were in talks the last time he was seeking a new team, in 2018. Leading up to his decision, the Sixers went all-out to campaign for the superstar, and even Embiid turned to social media to make his own pitch.

Trust The Process!!!! Find a new slant @KingJames

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 9, 2018

Ultimately, he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers — claiming he chose the Lakers over the Sixers and Houston Rockets to help cement his legacy as a great.

The 2018 tweet wasn’t Embiid’s first time chatting up a fellow star on the platform. In 2014, he also tagged James, who ultimately chose a return to Cleveland.

@KingJames hey bro hope you're having a good day…… Want to join us in philly?? Peace

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 1, 2014

July 24, 2026
Phillies players react to LeBron James’ decision to play for Sixers: ‘Really cool for the city’

At 16 years old, Bryce Harper was dubbed the “Chosen One” on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Tom Verducci’s 2009 cover story invoked the nickname previously given to 17-year-old LeBron James on his 2002 SI cover and drew parallels between the two prodigies. Verducci went as far as calling Harper “Baseball’s LeBron.”

Nearly two decades later, Harper and James will play in the same city.

“One of the best to ever do it, being able to come in and enjoy that club over there. Obviously, they got good young group over there that are a lot of fun to play with,” Harper said. “So, really cool for the city, him coming.”

Harper added that he wasn’t surprised that James chose the 76ers.

“They’re really good,” he said.

The buzz around James’ two-year deal with the Sixers had reached the Phillies clubhouse ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Yankees. Hours after news of the contract broke, a screen outside Citizens Bank Park projected an image of James in a Sixers uniform with the message, “Welcome to Philly, LeBron!”

Excitement over the LeBron James decision permeated the city on Friday and made its way into the Phillies clubhouse as well.

Jhoan Duran, Bryson Stott, and Cristopher Sánchez were among the Phillies who posted images of James on their Instagram stories on Friday.

Trea Turner, a Boynton Beach, Fla. native, grew up a fan of the Miami Heat and watched James lead them to back-to-back championships. He said he was excited for those who haven’t had the chance to see James play get that opportunity.

“The additions have been crazy,” he said of the Sixers. “I felt like they had a good core, and adding [Jaylen] Brown and LeBron, I think it’s going to be pretty special. So hopefully they stay healthy and come together and win a bunch of games.”

Harper and James have met once at the ESPYs, an annual sports awards show produced by ESPN. In 2016, James beat out Harper, Cam Newton, and Steph Curry for Best Male Athlete.

Harper is now more than halfway through his 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies that then was the richest in North American sports. He had no advice to offer James — “he knows exactly what he needs to do,” Harper said — but wished him the best.

“Just obviously a great city to come play in fan base-wise, sports-wise, feel like the city’s in a really good spot with all the teams right now, from us, to the Sixers, to the Eagles, to the Flyers making postseason this year as well,” Harper said. “So just a really good spot to be in.”

July 24, 2026
Philly fans and officials celebrate the reign of King James as the Sixers sign a superstar

Philadelphia is now officially under the rule of King James. And his newly minted subjects, it seems, couldn’t be happier.

LeBron James, the legendary NBA player and one of the most famous humans on the planet, is coming to Philly after having agreed to a two-year contract with the Sixers on Friday. The move, though one of the more improbable roster additions in franchise history, is real — and officially commemorated at the highest levels of state government.

“Pennsylvania is honored to welcome LeBron James to our Commonwealth as he joins the Philadelphia 76ers for his best season yet,” Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote in a proclamation declaring Friday, July 24, 2026, as LeBron James Day. The day, he added, would honor James’ “bright future in Philadelphia,” among other achievements and anticipations.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker likewise welcomed the news, writing in a statement that the city would welcome James “into our One Philly Family with open arms and electric energy.”

“Trust me when I say: We are rolling out the welcoming mat starting Day One!” Parker said. “We cannot wait to see you shine on the court.”

Though months away from that debut on the court as a Sixer, James’ arrival to the team prompted a flurry of shock and support from fans and players alike, with seemingly every local establishment, institution, and celebrity offering a meme or message of disbelief. In fact, Philly’s pro athletes seemed among the most excited about James coming to town.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, for example, almost immediately extended a golf invite to James after the news broke, asking via social media when the forthcoming Sixer wanted to “tee up.” Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey had a more primal reaction, simply posting a video of him screaming in excitement in a gym.

James himself, meanwhile, was more staid in explaining his decision via social media. After nearly two-dozen seasons in the NBA, James wrote, he thought he was done playing, but decided he continued to love the game and had more to give.

“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,” James wrote. “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.”

How LeBron landed in Philly: Recapping King James’ free agency twists and turns that led to the Sixers

Some Sixers fans were beside themselves, with at least one ordering a Chantilly cake from Whole Foods to celebrate. Lydia Victor, a Northeast Philly graphic designer and sports content creator, had the bakery write “Trust the Process 23” in red frosting on top of the confection, and planned to cut it later in the day with her father, who went to college in Ohio, and is James’ biggest fan, she said.

Whether a James-led Sixers squad can actually win a championship was almost inconsequential Friday, though Victor already was designing plans to celebrate on Broad Street. The fact that James chose Philadelphia brought her more happiness than a championship (or potentially getting married or having kids) might. She likened the moment to Meredith Grey’s iconic monologue in the TV show Grey’s Anatomy imploring Derek Shepherd to choose her.

“It’s just the mindset that Philly isn’t always considered a big market and the national media usually counts us out when it comes to acquiring big-name free agents,” she said. But this time, things were different.

“We were picked!” she said.

Darnell Butts, 56, said there’s no way the Sixers would have landed James had former general manager Daryl Morey still been in charge. Butts was optimistic about the Sixers’ championship chances, and excited for the team’s younger stars to learn from a player he calls the greatest of all time. Butts said he wants to welcome James in Philly fashion.

“Get a Philly cheesesteak, it’s on Darnell Butts. Meet me at Reading Terminal,” he said.

The historic nature of the day was seemingly reflected in professional sports’ enduring fan barometer — merchandise sales. By early Friday afternoon, Fanatics said it was already sold out of some Sixers-branded James jerseys.

Within two hours of the news breaking, all first editions of the No. 23 jerseys were sold out on the Fanatics website. The adult royal blue, white, and red Swingman premium jerseys had been selling for $124.99, in line with the price of similar jerseys for other Sixers stars. Youth jerseys had also been available to preorder for $69.99.

Fanatics was also selling James’ 2026-2027 Topps trading card, the one he signed and posted on Instagram after announcing his decision to come to Philly. The cards were selling for between $11.99 for a single card and $169.99 for a 20-pack. Fanatics acquired Topps in 2022.

The company planned to add additional James merchandise in short order Friday.

LeBron chose the hard, dramatic path when he picked the Sixers. Get ready for a wild ride, Philly.

July 24, however, would live on as a historic date, some fans said.

Raymond Davis took the train into 30th Street Station to play basketball at Schuylkill River Park. Before leaving his home in Mount Airy, he put on his Tyrese Maxey jersey to hoop in — not knowing James would sign with his favorite team shortly after.

Davis met up with a few friends on the way to Schuylkill River Park. One of them, Christopher Gaines, was just as excited as Davis and ready to write the day down in history books.

“The king of basketball’s coming to Philly — the city of sports — and this is like a great day, a great moment,” Davis said. “You know what? July 24, I will always remember as ‘King Bron Day’ — the day LeBron came to Philly.”

Staff writers Gabriela Carroll, Erin McCarthy, Gina Mizell, Matt Mullin, and Andrea Padilla contributed to this article.

July 24, 2026
LeBron James first played in Philly as a teen and had no interest in seeing the Liberty Bell

LeBron James met Donovan McNabb, ordered a cheesesteak in South Philly, and stayed at a hotel just a few blocks from City Hall when he visited Philadelphia for the first time. But James — then a high school senior — had no interest in trekking to the Liberty Bell.

“LeBron was giving me a lot of flak about it,” said Jeremy Treatman, who organized the showcase at the Palestra in December 2002 that brought James to Philly. “I said, ‘I cannot in good faith let you come to Philadelphia and not go to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.’ I remember him saying, ‘I don’t want to see no damn bell.’”

James returned to Philadelphia on Friday as an all-time great, signing a two-year contract with the Sixers that should cap his NBA career in the city he toured as a teenager. He arrived here in 2002 as a 17-year-old who just wanted to play basketball six months before turning pro.

Mike Sielski: LeBron chose the hard, dramatic path when he picked the Sixers. Get ready for a wild ride, Philly.

James was such a draw — Sports Illustrated labeled him “The Chosen One” earlier that year — that Treatman sold out the Palestra without advertising the game between James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary High of Akron, Ohio, and Philly’s Strawberry Mansion.

James was an attraction like the Liberty Bell.

“I had an office at 1420 Walnut St. and people were just coming off the street and coming up the elevator and buying tickets left and right,” said Treatman, who started organizing high school basketball games three years earlier. “It was great. Once or twice or three times in my lifetime, I could imagine a moment like that.”

LeBron James’ new teammates — and other Philly athletes — react to his signing with Sixers

Treatman heard about James a year earlier and went to Akron to see him play. Treatman had been an assistant at Lower Merion when Kobe Bryant was a high schooler. He called Gregg Downer, the Lower Merion coach, and said he was watching another Bryant.

“I said, ‘I think I just saw someone as good if not better than Kobe, and I can’t believe what I’m saying,’” Treatman said.

He contacted St. Vincent-St. Mary with a proposal to host a series of games the next season. Treatman sent a fax to James’ coach with the plan: Madison Square Garden, Ohio State, University of Dayton, the Palestra, and the University of North Carolina.

“He called the next day and said, ‘You can get us to play at the Palestra?’ I said, ‘Absolutely,’” Treatman said. “He called back three hours later and said, ‘I’ve always wanted to play at the Palestra. We’re in.’ I was like, ‘Holy s—. This is really happening.’ They all happened, except for Madison Square Garden. I chickened out on that one. They wanted $90,000, and I certainly didn’t have that money back then. But I should’ve borrowed it. I should’ve.”

See you back at The Palestra, @KingJames 👑🫡 pic.twitter.com/ICovxn9reM

— Penn Quakers (@pennathletics) July 24, 2026

Chester, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Cardinal Dougherty would have given James’ squad a better game. But none of those teams had Maureece Rice, who was nearing Wilt Chamberlain’s Philadelphia high school scoring record. Treatman knew that Rice, who was nicknamed “The Score Lord,” playing James would be an event.

The team from the Public League was happy to get picked to play James.

“You have to understand something: We’re from the Strawberry Mansion section of North Philadelphia,” said Marc Starling, then a Mansion assistant. “That’s big time to be able to play someone so great in your city. We felt very honored. Now, I’m so glad he picked the Sixers. I’m an older guy, and I haven’t been this excited about a player coming to Philadelphia since the Sixers got Dr. J. You believe that?”

The event included other games, as Kyle Lowry’s Dougherty squad and a Penn Charter team featuring future NFL quarterback Matt Ryan served as opening acts for James vs. Rice.

Bron-O-Meter hits

“This place held 8,117, and somehow 9,000 people got in,” Treatman said. “I know I was at fault for letting at least 100 extra media people come in. I remember Howard Eskin was late, and I gave him a ticket. World Wide Wes [basketball power broker William Wesley] and Allen Iverson came late, and we got them in. There were no seats. There was this crazy aura to see this guy who people were hearing could be the greatest player of all time. So everyone wanted to see him.”

LeBron James’ mother, Gloria, watches the 2002 game between St. Vincent-St. Mary and Strawberry Mansion at the Palestra.

The game was a 85-47 blowout, as Strawberry Mansion could not keep pace with James’ squad, which was the No. 1 team in the country with three Division I players.

“The most important thing I remember about that game was just how humble they were and their sportsmanship,” Starling said. “They were a national team. We were a local team. The score showed the difference, but their attitude was great. They had a lot of respect for Maureece. It’s like it was yesterday. It’s a blessing to see LeBron’s growth from there to now.”

The many fans were restless as James’ squad pulled away. Treatman remembered James’ mother starting to push back against the Philly fans. Finally, the crowd got what it wanted. With seven minutes left, James pointed to Rice and told everyone else to get out of the way.

LeBron to the Sixers would be bigger than we seem to understand

“They played one-on-one for about a four-minute stretch in a team basketball game,” Treatman said. “It was the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen. LeBron was brilliant. He said, ‘This is what the fans came to see. The game’s out of hand. Let’s have some fun here.’ That was pretty remarkable. I remember saying, ‘LeBron is so smart. Like a marketing genius.’”

LeBron James hugs Maureece Rice in the final minutes of their game at the Palestra in 2002.

James knocked down a three in front of Rice. And then Rice brought the ball down the court as the crowd stood. He hit a crossover dribble as James slipped on the court as if he was on skates. The crowd roared, and some fans came onto the court.

“I had him set up, crossed one way, and he went the other way,” Rice said in 2011 before James played at the Palestra during the NBA lockout. “Next thing you know, he fell, and the crowd just went bananas. LeBron was the No. 1 player, and the things he does now, it’s something no one will forget.”

Forget that Rice’s ensuing three-pointer didn’t even touch the rim and that James’ squad won by 38. The crossover — and the reaction of the crowd — became an iconic moment in Philly hoops.

“It’s sort of like when Allen Iverson crossed over [Michael] Jordan as a rookie,” Starling said. “It was showing the world that Maureece Rice was very good, too. He was an exceptional basketball player. It was like being a father and seeing your son do something so great and show the world what you already knew he could do. That’s how I felt when I saw him make his move. I had been coaching him since the seventh grade and that was one of the proudest moments. He didn’t hit the shot, but he showed the world what he was about.”

From the archives: Tales of LeBron, before he was King

The game aired live on cable and James was interviewed afterward by Gregg Murphy, now a Phillies radio broadcaster.

“The atmosphere was really great,” James told him. “All of these people came to watch these two teams play. It was great for the community and for our school, for Akron, Ohio. I like stuff like this. It was pretty fun.”

NBA great LeBron James dunking at the Palestra as a high school standout from Akron, Ohio, in 2002.

James asked his coach to tell Treatman they weren’t going to the Liberty Bell. But the coach said he had to go. He wanted the trip to be more than just basketball. They met with McNabb and Andy Reid at the Eagles’ practice facility, ate cheesesteaks at Pat’s, and then went to Independence Hall.

How LeBron landed in Philly

“The guide at Independence Hall started talking about the history of slaves and the history of Black people in Philadelphia,” Treatman said. “All of a sudden, LeBron and his teammates started asking question after question after question. They really enjoyed the education. That was my whole point. You’re coming to Philadelphia, and this is the birthplace of America. You have to learn what happened here.”

Treatman dropped the team off at the airport the day after the game and said farewell to the kid who would become a great.

“He came up and shook my hand and said, ‘Thanks for taking us to the Liberty Bell,’” Treatman said. “‘That was the most meaningful moment of the weekend for me.’ That was 24 years ago. It’s kind of incredible and surreal that it’s happening now. I hope it’s a great final chapter and he becomes the first guy to win a championship with four different teams.”

July 24, 2026