LeBron James 76ers contract puts NBA legend in Philly on 2-year deal
LeBron James has signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers after leaving the Lakers, NBC News reported.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
LeBron James’ 76ers contract is a two-year, $8 million deal, NBC News reported Friday, sending the 41-year-old NBA icon to Philadelphia after his split from the Los Angeles Lakers.
James announced the move on X, according to NBC News, after weighing whether he still wanted to continue his playing career. The coming season will be his 24th in the NBA.
In his post, James wrote that he had thought he was finished when last season ended and needed time before making a call. He said he had to “look at myself and decide if I still love this game,” adding that he still had more to give, according to NBC News.
James also framed the choice as his final decision, writing that the move was not about money or family and that he had spent recent months with loved ones trying to work through what he wanted next.
Why did LeBron James sign with the 76ers?
James said on X that he used the offseason to decide whether he still loved basketball and wanted to keep playing, NBC News reported. He wrote that he still loves the game and has “more to give.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro celebrated the move on X, according to NBC News, saying James was coming to Philadelphia and proclaiming the day “LeBron James Day.” Shapiro described himself as a devoted Sixers fan in the post.
James arrives in Philadelphia with one of the most decorated résumés in basketball. NBC News reported that he is a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP, 22-time All-Star and the league’s all-time leading scorer.
He entered the NBA as the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft and spent his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2010, he moved to the Miami Heat, where he reached the NBA Finals in 2011 and started a run of eight straight Finals appearances, according to NBC News.
James won championships with Miami in 2012 and 2013, then returned to Cleveland in 2014. NBC News reported that he led the Cavaliers to the franchise’s only title in 2016, when Cleveland came back from a 3-1 Finals deficit to beat the 73-win Golden State Warriors.
He joined the Lakers in 2018 and won another championship in 2020, becoming the first player to earn Finals MVP honors with three different franchises, according to NBC News.
His Lakers years were uneven after that title run. NBC News reported that Los Angeles advanced beyond the first round only twice after 2020 and missed the playoffs in 2022. This past season, James played behind Luka Doncic after the Lakers acquired Doncic in February 2025, according to the report.
With Doncic hurt, NBC News reported that James helped Los Angeles beat the Houston Rockets in the first round before the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James played 60 games in his most recent season and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists, according to NBC News. Across his 23-year career, the report said he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.