LeBron James joins 76ers for final bid at NBA title

LeBron James will return for a record-extending 24th National Basketball Association (N.B.A.) season after announcing Friday that he is joining the Philadelphia 76ers, ending weeks of speculation about his future and giving the franchise one of the biggest additions of the offseason.

James, 41, said he briefly believed his career had ended after the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff exit before deciding he still wanted to compete.

“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,” James wrote in a series of social media posts.

According to multiple reports, James will sign a two-year, US$8 million contract that includes a player option. The deal marks a dramatic reduction from the nearly US$53 million he earned during his final season with the Lakers, reflecting a decision centered on championship contention rather than salary.

Philadelphia believes the move strengthens a roster that has already undergone significant change this summer. James joins 2023 N.B.A. Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired Jaylen Brown, giving the 76ers another proven postseason performer as they pursue their first N.B.A. championship since 1983. The franchise has not advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs since 2001.

No player has maintained James’s level of production this deep into an N.B.A. career. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists across 60 regular-season games last season while earning a record 22nd consecutive All-Star selection. In March, he also surpassed Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in league history.

The signing nevertheless raises questions. Embiid has struggled to stay healthy in recent postseasons, while James enters his age-41 campaign after more than two decades in the league. How quickly Philadelphia builds chemistry may ultimately determine whether the club can emerge from a competitive Eastern Conference.

James leaves Los Angeles after eight seasons, highlighted by the Lakers’ 2020 N.B.A. championship. Before arriving in California, he won two titles with the Miami Heat and delivered Cleveland’s first major professional sports championship in 52 years by leading the Cavaliers to the 2016 N.B.A. crown. His résumé also includes four N.B.A. Most Valuable Player awards and the distinction of becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer.

The move immediately raised expectations in Philadelphia. Betting markets shortened the 76ers’ N.B.A. title odds following the announcement, while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declared July 24 as “LeBron James Day” in recognition of the signing.

Training camp is still months away, and questions about the roster remain. Even so, Philadelphia enters the new season with a roster built to compete now, with James pursuing what he says will be the final championship chase of his career.