Lebron’s Last Decision
It was an epic day in Sixers franchise history. It was July 24, 2026, when LeBron James took to social media and said the following: “This is my last decision. I am not going for money. I am 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 and have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team. I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
The soon-to-be 42-year-old made what had already been an amazing summer for basketball fans in the City of Brotherly Love; even better than most dare to dream. This upcoming season will be his 24th in the NBA. He has played 1622 regular season games and hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy four times. But his last championship was in 2020.
LeBron James’ game has changed over the years, but he is still highly effective. Last season, playing for the Lakers, he averaged 21points, six rebounds and seven assists. Joining a roster with the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and V.J. Edgecombe, it is possible his scoring will go down, but winning will hopefully increase.
While LeBron says this is his last decision, he has been down this road before. His first decision to have a change of scenery was in the summer of 2010. After seven NBA seasons in Cleveland, LeBron went to Miami to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Their championship season came in LeBron’s second season with the Heat. They would defend that title the following year. When he returned to Cleveland for a second playing stint, he added his third championship to his resume, but like Miami, it took two seasons to carry out that goal. James won his fourth title while playing in the bubble after the pandemic for the Los Angeles Lakers. Patience will be necessary with so many added faces, but it is a problem any coach would sign up for just to have such talent at his disposal. Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse remembers exactly where he was when he learned of LeBron’s 2026 decision. A devout catholic, Nurse planned a trip to Rome this summer to visit the Vatican and the Pope. He shared this story after his trip.
“I went to visit new students at the seminary,” Nurse said. “I was having lunch with them and when they introduced me, I told the new seminarians that I came to Rome to become a better coach. Last night, when I learned LeBron was coming to Philadelphia, I became a better coach. The praying vacation to Rome turned out great.”
The Sixers have not won a championship since 1983. That championship came about because of a sign-and-trade the Sixers made with Houston in September of 1982. Moses Malone signed a contract that, at the time, was record-breaking; six years for $2.2 million dollars. Malone won the NBA Finals MVP award, averaging 26 points and 18 rebounds during the four-game sweep of the Lakers. Malone was in his prime that spring at 28 years old; 14 years younger than LeBron James is now. But James could do for the franchise in 2027 what Malone did 43 years ago and be the piece that gets the team over the edge and ends the organization’s championship drought.
Like Malone in 1983, James will have a strong surrounding cast. James and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey have the same representation in Rich Paul and the two players have worked out together in the summers since Maxey entered the league in 2020.
“Tyrese Maxey has gotten better year after year after year,” James said last season when the Lakers visited Philadelphia. “I have worked out and trained with him the last couple of summers. We are in the gym at 5:30am, on time. It just shows his dedication to the game every single day. He is a guy who just loves the game and has taken full advantage of the opportunity in Philly. I love the kid. He is not only an incredible basketball player, but he is an even better person. That is saying a lot because he is one hell of a player.”
The respect that LeBron has for Maxey is a two-way street. On a recent podcast shared by @SpaldingClips, Maxey discussed his role in influencing LeBron’s decision this summer.
“We work out in the morning,” Maxey explained. “Two years ago, he was a free agent. I hit him up and said you are always welcome to come to Philly if you want to; that was before he re-signed with the Lakers. We all knew he was going back to the Lakers. I was just messing with him.
“This time, Rich Paul said, ‘I don’t know what he is going to do, so holler at him if you want him.’ So, I hit him up and said we have a good chance, and you could really help us. I told him you are the greatest of all time. Why wouldn’t we want you on our team? He has been a big brother to me since I came into the league in 2020. Now we are teammates. He is smart and has seen a lot. I can’t wait to get out there and compete with him.
“I have played with a lot of different teammates,” Maxey continued. “At the end of the day, I want to win. I have played a lot of separate roles, so I am going to have to change some things. But because of the dynamics on our team, we can do it. We do not expect Process (Joel Embiid) to play 70 games. If he does that is great. There may be games where I have 20 or 18 points. There could be games where Process and LeBron don’t play, and I may have to score 45.”
Not to be lost in all of this is the trade made for Jaylen Brown.
When last season ended, the 76ers fired Daryl Morey. He had been President of Basketball Operations for six seasons. Ownership felt it was time to go in a new direction. Bob Myers, who is President of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, took the challenge of finding the Sixers next front office leader. As president and general manager of Golden State, Myers built four championship teams in the mid 2000’s. He knows what it takes to build success and the types of people who can do so.
Myers decided on Mike Gansey as the Sixers’ next President of Basketball Operations. The 43-year-old had spent 15 years in the Cavaliers organization working his way up from intern to general manager. His time in Cleveland prepared him well. In less than two months, Gansey reshaped the Sixers roster to include Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron James. Each move led to another one being possible, with the goal being to build a roster that best surrounds the existing big three of Maxey, Edgecombe, and Embiid. Gansey was insistent on finding players that would also create an identity for a franchise that has lacked one.
“Without getting Jaylen, I do not think we get LeBron,” Gansey said. “Obviously, Jaylen is one of the best players in the league. To get him on the roster with Tyrese Maxey, with VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid and then the other free agents we signed, it changed the game for us.”
Everyone involved, from ownership, to Bob Myers, to current players, joined Gansey in what he called a “full court press.” Each reached out to LeBron and gave their individual pitch.
Time went by as LeBron considered other teams such as Cleveland and Miami, teams he had brought that championship feeling to in the past.
“Obviously, we are glad he chose us and that he is a 76er,” Gansey added.
Word of LeBron’s decision came in a group chat. It went to the group that had put on the full court press.
Defense wins championships.
This summer is the start of the winning culture Myers and Gansey want for the organization and, in time, mirrors the cultures they have experienced in their past work lives.
