LeBron James explained his stunning decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a two-year, $8 million contract with the team.
“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James, 41, shared via X on Friday, July 24. “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.”
He continued, “The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?”
James spent the last eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. He announced his intention to leave the team in June.
“I still want to sacrifice,” he continued on Friday. “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. 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.”
He concluded, “Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always [be] home!”
James began his future Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, returning for another run with the team from 2014 to 2018, after spending four seasons with the Miami Heat.
After earning $52.6 million with the Lakers last season, James signed for the veteran league minimum in an effort to chase another championship. The 76ers made another major splash earlier this offseason, acquiring star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
While announcing his exit from the Lakers earlier this year, James called it “an honor” to represent the franchise.
“Hope I made a few proud during my stint,” he wrote via X.
In a statement, the Lakers called James “one of the greatest athletes in history.”
“We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold,” the team said. “We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
