LeBron James is a member of the Philadelphia 76ers in a stunning final free agency twist from the 41-year-old. The Sixers became a legitimate threat for James after trading Paul George for Jaylen Brown, and the pitch made by new Sixers general manager (and former Ohio high school basketball legend) Mike Gansey and team president Bob Myers was enough to lure James to Philadelphia for the final chapter of his career.
The news broke on social media on Friday morning, with James authoring a statement explaining his decision to join the Sixers -- as well as revealing he genuinely thought he was going to retire at the end of the season.
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. 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? 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. 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. Thank you LA. Miami I'll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!
James' note about this not being about money or family is notable, as early on in the process reports indicated his decision would be a balance between competing and his happiness. That was what made the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors the three early frontrunners. Each could offer something unique to fill that happiness requirement -- Cleveland being back home, Miami being Miami and Golden State playing with two of his good friends, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
However, as James let his free agency drag on for more than three weeks, he seemed to realize that, when it comes to his happiness as a player, what really mattered was the chance to compete and win a championship. Signing with the Sixers rather than the Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors, or any other of the many potential suitors indicates he believes this Philly roster was just one piece -- him -- away from being a legitimate title contender.
Now he'll join Brown, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey -- who Rich Paul, James' agent, noted he loves (and is a fellow Klutch Sports client) -- to form a formidable starting lineup in a suddenly loaded Eastern Conference. As he proclaimed in his statement, James will be ready to sacrifice, work and grind to help lead Philadelphia to its first championship since 1983 -- with the New York Knicks snapping their own streak perhaps piquing James' interest to try and do the same in a sports-crazed town like Philly.
Signing a two-year deal with a player option gives James the opportunity to extend his career into a 25th season if he wants it, but given his statement about genuinely considering retiring after this past year, it's very possible the Sixers' title window with James will be just this upcoming season.
