NBA legend LeBron James signs with Philadelphia 76ers
• LeBron James, 41, has signed a two-year deal worth USD 8 million with the Philadelphia 76ers.
• He departed the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent on 30 June 2026.
• James joins Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe at the Sixers.
LeBron James has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the 41-year-old NBA superstar joining forces with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe in pursuit of a fifth NBA championship. His agent Rich Paul confirmed to ESPN that the deal is a two-year contract worth USD 8 million.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, departed the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent on 30 June 2026, sparking more than three weeks of speculation about his next destination. He had previously considered returning to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, rejoining the Miami Heat, or moving to Golden State Warriors alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green before settling on Philadelphia.
LeBron’s announcement
“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.”
— LeBron James, posting on X, 24 July 2026
James also described the emotional weight of his free agency, revealing he had seriously considered retirement at the end of last 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.”
— LeBron James, X
“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.”
— LeBron James, X
“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always be home!”
— LeBron James, X
The 76ers’ new-look roster
James joins a 76ers side that has been significantly reshaped. The franchise traded for Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, adding an All-Star forward alongside star centre Joel Embiid and guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Brown and Maxey both posted enthusiastically on social media following the announcement. Maxey’s agent is also Rich Paul, the same representative as James.
The 76ers have reached the playoffs in eight of the past nine seasons but have never advanced beyond the second round in that stretch, where they were swept out this past season by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The franchise last reached the NBA Finals in 2001 and last won a title in 1983.
Head coach Nick Nurse, who guided the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA title, remains in charge. James and Embiid were teammates on the US squad that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
LeBron’s career and 2025/26 stats
| Stat | Figure |
| Age | 41 |
| NBA career length | 23 years |
| NBA titles | 4 (Miami 2012, 2013; Cleveland 2016; LA Lakers 2020) |
| NBA MVPs | 4 |
| All-time NBA scoring | Record holder |
| 2025/26 Lakers season | 20.9 pts | 7.2 ast | 6.1 reb | 1.2 stl per game |
| Contract (76ers) | Two years | USD 8 million |
NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged James’s prolonged free agency had created scheduling uncertainty, saying he could not commit to a full season schedule until the destination was confirmed. The 76ers’ lineup will now be one of the most high-profile in the NBA when the 2026/27 season tips off.
