LeBron James will play a 24th season in the NBA … and it won’t come with the team people expected. James announced Friday that he’ll sign with the Philadelphia 76ers as he seeks one more championship
The decision was met with … shock, mostly. Coming into Friday, the 76ers weren’t considered the most likely of teams to sign James, per the odds, at least. Two of James’ former franchises, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, as well as the Golden State Warriors, were considered among the popular landing spots for the superstar
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But it wasn’t meant to be, as James opted for the surprising 76ers instead
The news came as a massive shock to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who got the news as she was in the middle of a press conference ahead of WNBA All-Star weekend
As Clark said, she had literally just finished answering a question in which she pitched James signing with the Indiana Pacers. It wasn’t meant to be
Paige Bueckers also issued a response to the news, saying she was shocked to hear it
At least one person in the NBA world was also surprised by the decision. One NBA executive said Philadelphia was “option No. 4” before James made his decision
James, himself, explained his choice on social media, explaining he truly contemplated retirement this offseason before deciding to join the 76ers. His full statement read:
“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. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give
“The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. 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
“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
“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home! [sic]”
James also shared a video on Instagram that highlighted his entire career. At the end, he shared the 76ers logo, making the move even more official
The 76ers have had quite the offseason now, with both James and Jaylen Brown joining the organization. Brown had a somewhat muted reaction to the signing, merely tweeting out a hashtag #throwtheballup
Tyrese Maxey and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, on the other hand, went out of their way to celebrate the move
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Maxey immediately hopped on Instagram and was yelling about the news
VJ Edgecombe had a fantastic response to the news, mimicking the pose hit by James in his viral “can’t believe this is my life” social-media post
Shapiro already proclaimed it “LeBron James Day” in the state
Dawn Staley also had a fun time upon hearing the news
As did Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley
The James news was announced on 76ers head coach Nick Nurse’s birthday … so we can assume Nurse is having a fantastic day
That NBA executive who called Philadelphia the fourth option was exactly right. Coming into Friday, the 76ers had the fourth-best odds to ink James
The fact that the team still won out over Cleveland and Miami really caught some folks off guard. Even Stephen A. Smith couldn’t believe it
Maybe everyone was foolish to underestimate the 76ers in the end. Turns out, James may have dropped a massive hint about his future at Fanatics Fest over the weekend
James will be going for history with the 76ers. If he wins a championship, he’ll be the first player in NBA history to win a title with four different franchises
This story will be updated
