LeBron James joins Philadelphia 76ers in bid to end 41-year championship drought

LeBron James joins Philadelphia 76ers in bid to end 41-year championship drought

LeBron James announced Friday he will join the Philadelphia 76ers for what will be his record-extending 24th NBA season, as the 41-year-old superstar pursues one final championship with a franchise desperate to end its title drought.

James, the NBA's all-time scoring leader and four-time MVP with 22 All-Star selections, has agreed to a two-year deal worth $8 million that includes a player option for the second season. The move reunites him with center Joel Embiid, his teammate on the gold medal-winning U.S. squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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.

James brings a proven track record of franchise transformation, having delivered championships to the Miami Heat in 2013 and 2014, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He departed the Lakers on June 30 as a free agent after averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season.

Opportunity for championship-starved franchise

The 76ers finished 45-37 last season as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference before being swept in the conference semifinals by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The franchise has reached the playoffs in eight of the past nine seasons but hasn't advanced beyond the second round in any of them.

Philadelphia's title drought extends to 1983, when Julius Erving led a dominant squad that posted a 65-17 regular season record and ranked first in the NBA in net rating before sweeping through the Finals against the Lakers. Moses Malone captured Finals MVP honors on that championship team.

Embiid, the 2023 MVP in his 10th NBA season, has yet to win a championship despite his dominant play. His availability has been a concern, particularly after he underwent an emergency appendectomy in April and returned less than three weeks later for the playoff run.

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.

Championship pedigree on sidelines

James will play under head coach Nick Nurse, who has led the 76ers since June 2023. Nurse guided the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship and earned Coach of the Year honors for the 2019-20 season, celebrating his 59th birthday on the day of James's announcement.

The 76ers roster will feature James alongside Embiid, guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and forward Jaylen Brown, who was acquired in a trade from Boston. Maxey, whose agent is Rich Paul—also James's representative—celebrated his "recruiting" success on social media, while Brown posted "#throwtheballup" in response to the news.

James had sparked speculation about retirement when last season concluded, posting that he "wasn't ready to announce it" but was "pretty sure I played my last game." The weeks-long free agency period saw intense speculation linking him to Cleveland, Miami, and Golden State before he chose Philadelphia.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had said he could not finalize the upcoming season schedule until James made his decision, given broadcaster interest in featuring the superstar and his new team.

Thank you LA. Miami I'll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always be home!