Overview
- LeBron James announced on Friday that he will sign a two‑year, $8 million contract with a player option to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
- James said he briefly considered retirement and that the move is driven by a search for 'basketball happiness' and another title rather than salary.
- He informed the Los Angeles Lakers on June 30 that he would not return, ending weeks of leaguewide recruitment that included Cleveland, Miami and Golden State.
- Joining Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and V.J. Edgecombe immediately positions the 76ers as a top Eastern Conference contender and has shortened their championship odds.
- The signing has big symbolic weight for Philadelphia and James personally because a title there would make him the first player to win championships with four different teams and would end the Sixers’ long title drought.