PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia 76ers sent the message that LeBron James was indeed – officially and perhaps amazingly – on the roster with a straightforward photo:
James’ blue No. 23 jersey hangs in a locker with a crown as a nod to his King nickname on the shelf.
The 76ers and James announced Monday their two-year deal on the veteran’s minimum for $8 million total was official and that the four-time NBA MVP was indeed a Sixer.
“There is no doubt LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball and there are no words to measure the impact he’ll have on this organization,” team president Mike Gansey said.
The NBA’s career scoring leader, James revealed his choice on social media Friday, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it came after he strongly considered retirement.
“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 said.
James posted videos on his Instagram story Monday morning with the caption: “It’s that time again. 4:12 AM. Let’s get it.” He posed workout videos from the gym throughout the weekend.
A four-time NBA champion, James wrote he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He instead reversed course and signed with a Sixers franchise that’s loaded with All-Star starters in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown yet has failed to win an NBA championship since 1983 or even advance out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.
James, who turns 42 in December, appears up for the challenge of turning the Sixers into champions much as he did when he ended a 56-year championship drought for Cleveland by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016.
“I cannot wait to see LeBron alongside Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and our talented roster as we work to deliver a championship for Philly,” team owner Josh Harris said.
The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.
James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
He also is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.
James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons – where he won his first two NBA titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, including that title run in 2016, and left in 2018 for the Lakers and won a championship in 2020.
James is the first player in NBA history to be named an NBA Finals MVP with three different franchises.
James is set for a reunion with Gansey, who was hired in late May after the Sixers fired Daryl Morey.
Gansey joined the Cavaliers in 2011 and had worked as their general manager since 2022. His and James’ ties were first forged as Ohio basketball stars more than two decades ago. Gansey at Olmsted Falls High School was runner-up in 2001 for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball award to James – who won it three times for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School before bypassing college and going straight to the NBA.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing LeBron since high school and have seen the high-level impact he’s produced at every stop of his basketball journey,” Gansey said. “He is a consummate professional, the ultimate competitor and a tireless worker. But he is also an incredible person with natural leadership traits, a family man, and someone who possesses unwavering commitment to community and those around him.”
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