LeBron James chooses Philadelphia for his final NBA challenge
Jul 25, 2026 · 00:35
The 76ers may have pulled off the greatest deal in sports history on Friday, when LeBron James announced he will finish his career in Philadelphia.
The 76ers may have pulled off the greatest deal in sports history on Friday, when LeBron James - the NBA's all-time leading scorer - announced he will finish his career in Philadelphia.
It's staggering that LeBron James will cost the 76ers roughly the same amount (around $3.9 million) as rookie Labaron Philon, which is both bizarre and yet completely logical.
James, as always, knows exactly what he's doing. This is one last chance to do something no one else ever has: win a championship with a fourth different franchise, which would be an NBA record.
It could have been Cleveland or Miami, and Golden State was in the mix too, but the decision ultimately came down to a homecoming (Cavs), a return (Heat), and a clean slate (76ers).
Philadelphia had already pulled off one of the summer's biggest moves when they traded for Jaylen Brown with the Boston Celtics. They have elite guard Tyrese Maxey, and a healthy, nearly unstoppable Joel Embiid. They have a rising star in VJ Edgecombe, and a championship-winning coach in Nick Nurse.
In other words: the team ticks every box. From now on, though, anything short of a championship would be a total failure.
Of course, the task won't be easy. The Eastern Conference is brutally strong. The champion Knicks play 100 miles away, Detroit won 60 games last season, Cleveland are right there in the mix, and Miami have signed Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston shouldn't be written off either.
"Trust the process" - as they say in Philadelphia. And this really will be a process now.
