PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Lakers 118-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver jokingly (?) voiced his frustration in mid-July that LeBron James was taking so long to decide where to play his 24th season.
One week later, Silver got his wish in multiple ways. Not only did LeBron decide where to play his NBA-record 24th season, but his shocking decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers injected the league with plenty of fresh intrigue.
Matchups between the Sixers and Boston Celtics were already guaranteed to be must-see TV after the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Sixers earlier this offseason. In his statement after the trade, Brown said he was “excited and disappointed at the same time” and that he was “big on respect, and actions speak louder than words.”
With LeBron in the fold, the Sixers are now expected to be featured prominently all season. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, they’re “expected to get the maximum 34 national game telecasts/streams” this coming season, which is more than double the 14 they received last year.
“You can also expect to see the 76ers play a prominent role during tentpole events, like opening week and the league’s annual five-game slate on Christmas Day,” McCarthy added.
The league won’t have to feature the Sixers-Celtics rivalry over and over again, either. LeBron joining the Sixers instantly added juice to a number of different matchups.
The Sixers Vs. The World
According to multiple reports, LeBron narrowed his list down to five teams before settling on the Sixers. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors were the other four.
The teams he spurned already appear eager to make him regret that decision.
Heat center Bam Adebayo, who was a teammate of LeBron’s at the 2024 Olympics, told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald that he wasn’t disappointed by LeBron going to Philly because “you should always be happy for a person and their decision. He made a decision where he feels like it’s his best situation to win.”
However, he also told Chiang that he sent a message to LeBron after he made his decision saying that he was “going to bust his a–.”
He wasn’t the only one. Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards—who was also a teammate of James and Adebayo’s during the 2024 Olympics—shared a similar message.
“During one of several conversations he had with James, Edwards playfully told him If he didn’t make a decision soon, he would tear off James’ head,” sources briefed on the conversation told Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic. When James asked what would happen if he chose another team, Edwards replied that it would be fine “because that just meant he could tear off James’ head on the court when their two teams meet.”
There doesn’t seem to be any actual bad blood between LeBron and Adebayo or LeBron and Edwards. The same goes with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors, who seem to be understanding of James’ decision. But there’s no way that their matchups with LeBron and the Sixers don’t have some extra heat this year.
The Cavaliers are the lone LeBron suitor who’ve been radio silent since his decision. They’re reportedly poised to sign 2015 No. 5 overall pick Mario Hezonja, and they’re still lurking as a potential sign-and-trade partner for Jonathan Kuminga as well. There’s no way that they aren’t still steaming over LeBron’s decision to sign elsewhere, especially when they met clandestinely in early July.
When LeBron returned to Cleveland for his final game of the season last year, the crowd showered him with adoration in case it wound up being his last time playing there. Will they do the same after he spurned them to sign with a conference rival and fellow title hopeful this offseason?
This LeBron domino all started when he informed the Lakers shortly before free agency began that he planned to leave this offseason. That freed them up to splurge in free agency, which they did right away on Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton. But if LeBron was willing to take a minimum contract from the Sixers, why wouldn’t he just stay put and not uproot his family?
While Lakers minority owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement that LeBron “will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family,” Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves now may have some extra motivation whenever they face LeBron and the Sixers.
The rivalry between the Sixers and the reigning champion New York Knicks was already plenty heated prior to LeBron’s arrival, as the two teams have crossed paths in the playoffs twice in the past three years. The Sixers now lurk as arguably the biggest threat in the East to the Knicks’ chances of defending their title. Making matter worse, LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, confirmed LeBron would have signed with them this offseason had they not just won a championship.
Interest in the NBA tends to surge when superteams arise, and the Sixers’ collection of talent fits that bill. There are still plenty of questions about how the new-look Sixers will fit together, but that just adds further intrigue to the start of the 2026-27 season.
If LeBron and the Sixers live up to their potential, they should challenge the Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder for league supremacy. Whether they’re able to do so is one of the biggest unknowns heading into the season, though.
Either way, it should be absolute cinema for NBA fans.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
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